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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Himachal makes masks mandatory in hospitals
Stepping up vigil after an 82-year-old woman tested positive for Covid in Nahan, the Himachal Pradesh health department on Wednesday made it compulsory to wear masks in all hospital premises. Health minister Dhani Ram Shandil said, 'There is just one case. There is no need to panic.' Indira Gandhi Medical College's deputy medical superintendent Dr Praveen Bhatia said the institution was fully prepared and a close watch was being kept on the situation. 'As of now, there is no advisory regarding random testing. People will be tested for Covid only after seeing symptoms. Though testing kits are short in number as some have expired, we will raise this issue in case we witness a surge in cases,' he said. Bhatia said, 'The hospital also has 150 oxygen-equipped beds ready. The old trauma centre, having 100-bed capacity, is vacant, which can immediately be put to use in case of surge. We have a shortage of staff nurses. This issue has already been raised with higher authorities.' He further said that an advisory had been issued to the staff, including security, to ensure there is no crowding, and physical distancing is maintained besides wearing masks in the hospital. Only one attendant will be allowed with a patient. At Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College & Hospital, Nerchowk (Mandi), deputy medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Mohan said the institution was prepared to handle any emergency situation. 'The makeshift Covid hospital set up during the pandemic is still functional, and staff have been deputed accordingly. Most of the ventilators are operational. For those requiring repairs, we have called in a technical team to ensure they are functional. If the situation demands, we are ready to scale up the facilities,' he said. The college currently has two oxygen generation plants — one with a capacity of 500 litres per minute (LPM) and another with 1,000 LPM. Officials said the 500 LPM plant is operational, while the 1,000 LPM unit is facing some technical issues which are being addressed. An official from the hospital also raised concerns regarding staffing. 'The government had cancelled the contracts of ward attendants and sanitation staff deployed during the Covid-19 period. With a potential rise in patient load, additional manpower may be required. The government should consider providing supplementary staff,' the official said. At Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda (Kangra), principal Dr Milap Sharma said the institution is fully equipped to handle any emerging situation. 'Patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) will be segregated and those testing positive for Covid-19 will be isolated. So far, we have not recorded a significant number of such cases,' he said. 'We have 85 fully functional ventilators. Additionally, the college is equipped with a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen generation plant and a 15 KL liquid oxygen cryogenic facility, both of which are operational,' he added. The 82-year-old Covid patient had arrived at the Nahan Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday morning, complaining of cold and cough, and subsequently tested positive. She was advised hospitalisation but she refused so hospital authorities urged her to go for home isolation.


Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Himachal: 700 home guard volunteers to be recruited
The state cabinet, in its meeting under the chairmanship of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Saturday decided to fill 700 posts of home guard volunteers in the home guards and civil defence department. It also gave nod to regularise the services of 203 panchayat secretaries (zila parishad cadre) who have completed two years of contractual services on March 31. The cabinet also approved an amendment to the Postgraduate/Specialist Services (PG/SS) Policy by withdrawing the mandatory requirement of one-year field posting prior to eligibility for senior residency at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda. The decision has been taken in line with the policy followed at AIIMS, Chamiyana. The amendment is aimed at streamlining the selection process, ensuring fairness and bringing coherence between the implementation of the Resident Doctor Policy and the PG/SS Policy. Apart from this, the cabinet approved shifting of the Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) office from Shimla to Dharamshala. This will be the third office to shift to Dharmashala after Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) and office of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife Wing. Relocating the office is not just to decongest Shimla but also part of a cost-cutting exercise by the government to shift offices operating from rented buildings in state's capital to vacant facilities in Dharamsala – the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh. As in 2010, the cabinet gave its in-principle approval to start de-novo reservation roster for the members and chairpersons of Panchayati Raj Institutions. It allowed the Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation to collect minor minerals and carry out dredging operations in rivers and ponds located in forest areas across the state, with the aim of better source management and environmental sustainability. It decided to bifurcate the Elementary Education Block, Ramshahar, Solan district, by creating a new block in Baddi along with creation and filling up of the requisite posts to ensure smooth functioning. It also decided to re-organise the development blocks of Sulah, Bhawarna and Lambagaon of Kangra district and Bharanj of Hamirpur district to facilitate the people of these areas.


Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Himachal Pradesh cabinet decides to fill 700 posts of Home Guard and regularise 203 panchayat secretaries
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh cabinet has decided to fill 700 posts of Home Guards volunteer and agreed to regularise 203 zila parishad cadre panchayat secretaries who have completed two years on contract by March 31, 2025. Chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Saturday's cabinet meeting also removed a key hurdle for aspiring resident doctors by scrapping the one-year mandatory field posting requirement before applying for senior residency. The change brings uniformity to eligibility criteria at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Govt Medical College, Tanda, aligning them with the Atal Institute of Medical Superspecialities (AIMSS), Chamiyana. In a bid to cut plastic waste, ministers approved a pilot 'Deposit Refund Scheme 2025'. Under the initiative, consumers will pay a refundable deposit when buying products with certain packaging, such as glass bottles, plastic containers, cans and multilayered materials. The deposit will be returned once the empty packaging is returned. Other decisions included relocating the Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) office from Shimla to Dharamshala and launching a fresh reservation roster for panchayati raj institution (PRI) members and chairpersons, a move last seen in 2010. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Check if You Are Eligible for a Free Hearing Aid Test Best Hearing Aids Undo The cabinet also allowed the Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation to collect minor minerals and carry out dredging in forest rivers and ponds to improve resource use and environmental outcomes. In education, a new elementary block will be created at Baddi in Solan district by bifurcating the Ramshahar block. Administrative restructuring of Sulah, Bhawarna, and Lambagaon development blocks in Kangra, along with Bharanj in Hamirpur district, was also approved to ease governance delivery. MSID:: 121535367 413 | Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh cabinet has decided to fill 700 posts of Home Guards volunteer and agreed to regularise 203 zila parishad cadre panchayat secretaries who have completed two years on contract by March 31, 2025. Chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Saturday's cabinet meeting also removed a key hurdle for aspiring resident doctors by scrapping the one-year mandatory field posting requirement before applying for senior residency. The change brings uniformity to eligibility criteria at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Govt Medical College, Tanda, aligning them with the Atal Institute of Medical Superspecialities (AIMSS), Chamiyana. In a bid to cut plastic waste, ministers approved a pilot 'Deposit Refund Scheme 2025'. Under the initiative, consumers will pay a refundable deposit when buying products with certain packaging, such as glass bottles, plastic containers, cans and multilayered materials. The deposit will be returned once the empty packaging is returned. Other decisions included relocating the Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) office from Shimla to Dharamshala and launching a fresh reservation roster for panchayati raj institution (PRI) members and chairpersons, a move last seen in 2010. The cabinet also allowed the Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation to collect minor minerals and carry out dredging in forest rivers and ponds to improve resource use and environmental outcomes. In education, a new elementary block will be created at Baddi in Solan district by bifurcating the Ramshahar block. Administrative restructuring of Sulah, Bhawarna, and Lambagaon development blocks in Kangra, along with Bharanj in Hamirpur district, was also approved to ease governance delivery. MSID:: 121535367 413 |