On Medical Education-original article

Himachal Pradesh should handle the center offer wisely and keep the public interest on priority

Institutionally, there are ample medical institutions i.e. Health Centers, Primary Health Centers, Community Health Centers, Civil Hospitals, District and Zonal Hospital in Himachal Pradesh. Besides these Institutions there Ayurvedic Health Institutions also to cater the health services throughout the state. The premier institution like Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla and Dr. Rajindera Prasad Medical College, Tanda and Kamla Nehru Hospital, Shimla delivering fantastic health services to the people in given situation. Due to the touch and hilly geographical condition it is almost impossible to approach this premier health institution be it IGMC, RPMC or KNH therefore in the rural health infrastructure is needs to be strengthen. 

The health department report itself reveals that the most of the rural health institution in the state are running acute shortage of medical and para-medical staff e.g. as per the guidelines of Medical Council of India (MCI) there should be at least four medical specialists in a CHC but is pity that in Himachal Pradesh there around 76 CHC all are dry and only one or two medical officer are keeping its door just open. 

The state government is failing to stay the doctors in government service after the completion of compulsory time period majority of the doctors are leaving government job and opening their own hospital or clinic and some of them are joining private hospital.

The challenge before the government is to produce more doctors and specialist and then keep them stay in government services. With the opening of new medical colleges at Chamba, Sirmaur and Hamirpur and shifting the ESI Medical College to Himachal Pradesh has expended the people’s expectation for having good health services and producing more doctors, specialist and super specialists.   

This is crucial time for the people that the state cabinet has decided to run ESI medical college on self finance basis. The repercussion of its functioning would be the paid services for the people with user charges and paid seats of MBBS and others with huge fee in multi lakhs rupees. This ultimately will not be in favor of Himachali people and out their pocket or reach.

There is justification of limited paying capacity of people of the state as the socio-economic and cast census (SECC) reveals that, out of total households of Himachal Pradesh 1263756 which constitute 88.54 percent is rural. The dominant rural population are dependent is dependent on their petty and limited agricultural activities. The land holding of these rural household is too small which constitute around one hectare only. Meanwhile, the 66 per cent of total geographical area of the state is under the forest department and there is only 11.17 per cent land where agriculture activities are conducted by state’s peasantry. The bulk of that land, around 66.85 per cent is un-irrigated or dependant on monsoon.   

Operation of these medical college on self finance basis in not in the favor of state, where 23.5 per cent household member are government job but  21.48 per cent are earning highest income less than Rs. 5000/- in a month. Just imagine how their sibling can think of paying multi lakhs rupees fee for MBBS and how these family can think of have health services in these medical college where state government is planning to run on the basis of self financing.

Let’s take this discussion in other mode the issue of site location of central university is hanging in pendulum even after passing more than five years. The better and prudent decision would had been to upgrade the only state university i.e. Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla as central university and the oldest university’s regional center Dharamshala as state university. But our political bosses went on another mode to distribute this national importance institution in to geographic divide.

Similarly, the fear is about the debut of AIIMS at Bilaspur in this case the wise decision should be to cash the opportunity in hand to immediately open the AIIMS at recently transferred ESIC hospital, Mandi. The three medical colleges sanctioned in UPA regime, shift one among them to Bilaspur.  Though, this is not a big deal to have such instant decision if the leaders from both parties in Himachal Pradesh think in this direction or keeps the public interest prior than to the political gain. 

Therefore keening in view of the state economy and socio-economic background of stats population where around 23 per cent of populations are scheduled caste and having very poor background economically, government should seriously revisit the decision and run ESI Hospital and other three medical colleges as the already medical colleges and Hospital like IGMC, RPMC, and KNH are functioning. Only then there will be benefit of having such important institution in the state and then the population will be benefited if they get subsidized MBBS seats for their sibling and cater free health facilities to common people.

Our government should be wise enough to handle the center government offer of sanctioning institutions of national repute be it PGI or CU no matter it is UPA or NDA in centre and BJP or Congress in State.