Shilma (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 4 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting of the Health Department and said that the state government was set to introduce a new health insurance policy aimed at ensuring access to quality healthcare for economically weaker families across the state.
He said that under the proposed policy, poor families would receive health insurance coverage of upto Rs 10 lakh at a highly affordable premium. He added that with this pioneering initiative,
Himachal Pradesh would become the first state in the country to offer such a comprehensive health insurance scheme at a nominal premium.
The Chief Minister said that nearly 10 lakh families belonging to various sections of society would be brought under the ambit of the new policy.
He further stated that leading multi-speciality and tertiary care hospitals would also be empanelled under the scheme to ensure that these families were not deprived of advanced medical treatment due to economic constraints.
He said the policy had been designed with the objective of providing equitable access to quality healthcare for every eligible citizen.
CM Sukhu said that the state government had been consistently introducing innovative initiatives to strengthen the healthcare sector.
He said that hospitals and medical education institutions were being modernised, while medical diagnostic services were being upgraded through automation. This initiative would enable patients to avail timely, efficient and hassle-free diagnostic services, besides ensuring greater convenience and saving valuable time.
In a post on X, Sukhu wrote, "Today, I chaired a high-level meeting of the Health Department. The state government is set to introduce a new health insurance policy with the aim of providing accessible, quality treatment to poor families. Under this policy, approximately 10 lakh families will be provided health insurance coverage of up to 10 lakh rupees at a very low premium. Himachal Pradesh will become the first state in the country to offer such a facility. The draft of the new policy has been prepared with the vision that no needy person in the state should be deprived of better medical facilities due to financial constraints. In the meeting, officials were directed to ensure the procurement of all medical equipment in line with the standards of AIIMS, New Delhi, and to further strengthen the Radiology Departments of all government medical colleges."
https://x.com/SukhuSukhvinder/status/2084637175594057761
The Chief Minister said that the state government was strengthening healthcare infrastructure in district hospitals and all government medical colleges to ensure that people receive quality medical treatment closer to their homes.
He directed the officers to ensure procurement of all medical equipment in accordance with the standards prescribed by AIIMS, New Delhi. He also instructed that the Radiology departments of all government medical colleges be further strengthened to enhance the quality of diagnostic and healthcare services.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was committed to developing world-class healthcare facilities within Himachal Pradesh so that people do not have to travel outside the state for advanced medical treatment.
Advocate General Anoop Rattan, Chief Secretary KK Pant, Principal Secretary Finance Devesh Kumar, Secretary Health Ashish Singhmar and other senior officers were present in the meeting.