After 23 Years, Himachal Pradesh Govt Boosts Paramedical Seats in Two Top Medical Colleges

In a long-awaited move towards strengthening the health cadre of the state, the Himachal Pradesh government has sanctioned a significant increase in paramedical training seats in two of its premier medical colleges—Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC), Tanda. It is the first significant increase in over two decades.

The action is against the background of growing need for trained technical staff in hospitals and health centers across the state, particularly inasmuch as newer healthcare equipment are being put into commission but where no trained hands exist to handle them. A government official explained that the action is part of measures to increase the numbers of trained technical staff, which has been a universal deficiency in the delivery of quality healthcare services within the state.

In IGMC Shimla, the seats for concerned paramedical courses—BSc Medical Laboratory Technology, BSc Radiography and Imaging, and BSc Anaesthesia and Operation Theatre Technology—have been upgraded from a mere 10 to 50 seats per course. Similarly, in RPGMC Tanda, the seats in BSc Medical Laboratory Technology, Radiology, and Anaesthesia courses have been upgraded from 18 to 50 each.

The hike is expected to significantly ease the burden of workload on the existing healthcare staff and also narrow the manpower shortage in government hospitals, especially in underserved and rural regions.

The move was greeted by health professionals as a much-needed initiative towards delivering the state's healthcare facilities with qualified professionals who can operate advanced diagnostic and treatment machinery. The increase will also create new career avenues in allied health science students.

With this initiative, the Himachal Pradesh government shows that it is not only interested in making investments in infrastructure but also in manpower to successfully operate it.