Himachal CM Directed Digitisation of Hospitals in the State

This announcement came after the CM chaired a meeting with the officials of the Health Department and directed them to begin this work in a time-bound manner.

In a move to digitise the hospitals in the state, Himachal Pradesh CM Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed the initiation of the Health Information Management System (HIMS) in several hospitals in the state.

This announcement came after the CM chaired a meeting with the officials of the Health Department and directed them to begin this work in a time-bound manner.

Reportedly, in the first phase, the HIMS would be rolled out in 56 Hospitals in the state. This move will enable doctors to fetch the complete medical history of the patients from the cloud-based server.

"The HIMS would prove to be a milestone in providing seamless treatment facilities to the patients as there will be no need to carry physical copies of prescriptions and medical tests with them," said CM Sukhu.

Paving the way for Digitalisation

To fulfil the objective of digitalisation, the Himachal Government is incorporating cutting-edge technology in the health institutions to provide advanced healthcare facilities to the state's people at their doorsteps.

As per this initiative, the doctors would get all the requisite information by just entering the mobile number of the patient.

With a motive to reach out to the underprivileged sections of society and provide them with quality healthcare facilities, the government intends to offer high-end healthcare services in all the medical colleges of the state as well.

The Adarsh Swasthya Sansthans are being set up in all the 68 assembly constituencies of the state and the government has also deputed six specialist doctors in 35 such institutions functioning in the state.

Additionally, the Himachal CM assured that the remaining 33 such institutions will be soon equipped with specialist doctors. He directed the department to accelerate the process of establishing such facilities.

Further, he also reviewed the status of establishing robotic surgery facilities in three medical colleges in the state including IGMC Shimla, Atal Institute of Medical Super Specialties Chamivana (Shimla) and Tanda Medical College.

A Wave of Innovative Healthcare Developments in Himachal Pradesh

Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) ventured into drone technology for healthcare in the Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh in alignment with India's drone ecosystem development initiative.

The project's maiden flight witnessed a drone successfully transporting over 100 essential medications, covering a distance of 20 kilometres in just 26 minutes. This effort seeks to evaluate the feasibility of using drones to transport critical medical supplies, including medications and diagnostic samples, to remote areas.

In another development, In November last year, the Industries Department of Himachal Pradesh secured a loan of INR 250 Cr from the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in order to expedite the construction of the INR 350 Cr medical device park in Nalagarh.

The Union Government has already allocated INR 100 Cr as grant-in-aid for the project, emphasising the need to establish various scientific facilities. Noteworthy among the nation's approved medical device parks, this initiative aligns with similar projects in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh, with the Industries Department designated as the state implementing agency for the endeavour.

Faced with financial constraints, the state government's decision to pursue a loan underscores the commitment to realising this vital healthcare infrastructure. Spanning a substantial 121.80 hectares, the medical device park aims to address the region's growing healthcare needs.