Doctors Award: मुख्यमंत्री ने डॉक्टर्स अवार्ड 2025 समारोह की अध्यक्षता कीसेवा और समर्पण के लिए डॉक्टरों व स्वास्थ्य संस्थानों को किया सम्मानित

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presided over the ‘Doctors Awards 2025’ ceremony organized by a leading daily newspaper at Peterhof late Sunday night. On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that currently, newspapers are not only providing information to the people but also offering a better platform for them to perform better and progress in life. This newspaper is providing a platform to women and youth through various inspirational programs, and the ‘Doctors Awards 2025’ is one such platform. The Chief Minister honored Prof. (Dr.) Sanjay Vikrant, HOD Nephrology, AIIMS Bilaspur; Prof. (Dr.) Brij Sharma, Principal, Professor and Head, Atal Institute of Medical Super Specialities, Shimla; Prof. Sanjeev Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur; Dr. Sudhir Sharma, Professor and Head, Neurology, AIMSS Chamiyana; Dr. Vikas Sharma, Rheumatologist (Department of Medicine), IGMC Shimla; Dr. Kailash Barwal, Associate Professor, Urology, AIMSS Chamiyana; Dr. Manik Sehgal, HOD Orthopedics, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba; Dr. Mukesh Kumar, Neurosurgeon (Brain and Spine Specialist), Tanda; Dr. Amit Sharma, Assistant Professor, Renal Transplant Surgery, Tanda; Dr. Virendra Negi, Medical Officer Specialist (Orthopedics), Zonal Hospital Mandi; Dr. Varun Kapoor, Medical Officer Specialist (OBG), Zonal Hospital Mandi; Dr. Deepak Thakur, Medical Officer Specialist (General Surgery), Zonal Hospital Mandi; Dr. Bhartendu Nagesh, Medical Officer Specialist (General Surgery), Regional Hospital Reckong Peo, Kinnaur; and Dr. Abhiraj Kumar, Specialist, Abhinam Eye Care Center, Solan, for their selfless and exceptional healthcare services. In addition, Pankaj Rai, Deputy Director (Administration), PGIMER Chandigarh, was also honored for his visionary leadership in promoting patient-centric healthcare services. Tenzin Hospital Shimla, Negi Clinic and Nursing Home Theog (Shimla), Janata Hospital and Piles Center, Dr. Daksh Khurana Liver and Digestive Care, and Karan Singh Vaidya Ancient Ayurveda were honored for providing excellent healthcare services. Congratulating the awardees, the Chief Minister said that the state government is giving special priority to the health sector and several initiatives have been taken to strengthen it in the last three years. He said that the present government, following the path of 'system change', has taken many steps to improve the health sector in the last three years. The Chief Minister said that after the restoration of the old pension scheme for state government employees, the central government has reduced the state's borrowing limit by Rs. 1,600 crore. In addition, the revenue deficit grant, which was Rs. 10,949 crore in 2021-22, has been reduced by the Centre to Rs. 3,257 crore in 2025-26. Highlighting the achievements in the health sector, the Chief Minister said that robotic surgery has been introduced for the first time in the state at AIIMS Chamiyana, and this facility is also being made available at Tanda Medical College. So far, more than 120 successful robotic surgeries have been performed at Chamiyana hospital. He said that robotic surgery facilities will be started in all medical colleges of the state by the beginning of 2026. This is a significant step towards providing advanced treatment to people closer to their homes. The state government is investing Rs. 3,000 crore for upgrading health infrastructure and expanding modern services. The Chief Minister said that the government is working towards providing high-quality treatment to the people. All vacant posts in the health department are being filled in a phased manner. He said that an advanced pediatric center is being established at AIIMS Chamiyana. Along with this, Rs. 75 crore has been sanctioned for AI-enabled state-of-the-art laboratories at IGMC and Tanda. He said that special OPD consultation slots are being introduced in hospitals for senior citizens above 70 years of age so that they do not have to wait. He informed that the recruitment process for 236 doctors is underway and approval has been given to fill 150 additional posts. The working hours of resident doctors have also been rationalized, reducing the duty hours from 36 hours to 12 hours. In addition, the stipend for senior residents has been increased to Rs. 1,00,000 and to Rs. 1,30,000 in super-specialty departments. The Chief Minister said that due to the efforts of the present government, the state's national ranking in the field of education has also improved, and Himachal Pradesh has jumped from 21st to 5th position in the NAS survey. In the first phase, the CBSE curriculum is being implemented in 100 selected government schools, and work has started on 20 Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools. Reiterating the commitment to a sensitive administration, he said that 6,000 orphaned children have been adopted as 'Children of the State'. All their needs are being taken care of under the Chief Minister Sukh-Ashray Yojana. A center of excellence for the education of persons with disabilities is also being established at Kandaghat in Solan. Earlier, Anil Soni, Editor-in-Chief of Divya Himachal, welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries. He spoke about the newspaper's journey and its contributions to the social sector.