Nerchowk Medical College in Mandi to start robotic surgery this year: Sukhu

Shimla, Oct 14 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday said robotic surgery at Mandi district's Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College will begin later in the year, as he announced a sum of Rs 28 crore for the installation of an MRI machine and other facilities there.

The MRI facility will be operational within two months, he said.   Presiding over IRIS-2025 programme at the college, Sukhu said that Himachali doctors were highly talented and outdated technology often hampers their ability to treat patients efficiently.

To this end, the state government is replacing all old machinery with modern ones, he said, according to a statement.  Sukhu said his government has approved Rs 12 crore for a path lab at Nerchowk, the area in Mandi known for its proximity to medical facilities, including Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College.

A sum of Rs 9 crore has already been released from that fund, he said.  "Soon all medical colleges in the state would have smart diagnostic laboratories modelled on AIIMS in New Delhi, where 100 tests can be conducted from a single blood sample, and the state government has sanctioned Rs 75 crore for this purpose," Sukhu said.   The Congress leader said the government has increased the number of seats in medical colleges to fill doctor shortage and sanctioned 38 new posts in the department of emergency medicine.  He accused the erstwhile BJP government of squandering the state treasury, and said that had the party been judicious in the use of money, the health services in the state would have been far better today. PTI BPL      VN VN