Uttarakhand to run district hospitals on PPP mode

A series of new public-private partnership (PPP) projects, couple of community health centres, expansion of existing hospitals, health smart cards and insurance schemes are among various new programmes, which have been launched by the Uttarakhand government to strengthen the health sector in the hill state.

These were the key highlights of the address to the state Assembly by Governor Margaret Alva, who said the government is adding 150 beds in the Doon hospital due to heavy increase of patients and planning to run all its district hospitals on PPP mode.

After establishing cardiac care and nephrology facilities on PPP mode at Dehradun and Haldwani, the government is also planning to launch more of such facilities in Roorkee and other areas of the state.

She said the government has made it compulsory for students pursuing Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery to serve in government hospitals for first five years after attaining the degree. A state college of nursing has been set up at Dehradun, she said.

The government has also appointed 227 ayurvedic doctors to meet the shortage of doctors in the hilly areas, she said.

A unani medical college is also being set up at Bhagwanpur area of Haridwar district. Besides, an international ayush research institute is also being proposed Charekdanda, which is said to be the birthplace of Maharishi Charak, she said.

The first ayush gram is also being set up at Bhawali sanitarium on PPP mode with Kolkata-based Emami pvt ltd. A state homeopathic college is also being set up at Srinagar town of Pauri district.

On the education sector, she said three new universities — Uttarakhand national law university at Bhawali in Nainital district, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Uttarakhand university at Badshahi Thaul in Tehri district and Vanasthali Vidyapeeth University at Dehradun district are being set up in the state.

Apart from this, the government is also setting up the first women technical college at Suddhowala in Dehradun district.

For providing quality and higher education in rural areas, the government has set up a college at Thalisein in Pauri district, she said.

For girls belonging to below the poverty level (BPL), the government is also giving various scholarships. Free uniforms are also being given to all girl students up to eighth standard. In addition to this, students belonging to BPL and scheduled tribe categories are also being given free uniforms.

BS