Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh today said a large number of posts of medical staff in primary and community health centres in remote areas are lying vacant as doctors and para medical personnel are unwilling to serve there.
Expressing concern over doctors and para medical staff getting themselves transferred to urban areas on one pretext or the other, he said "The doctors must complete their tenure in rural areas and if need be, a law would be enacted in this regard".
Addressing a public meeting at Junga, about 35 km from here, Singh said that he was very unhappy with the doctors who are unwilling to serve in rural areas and had directed the officials concerned that no doctor would be transferred from rural and remote areas without his approval and effort would be made to post post-graduate doctors in rural and far-flung areas.
He was in Junga to lay thefoundation stone of a Rs 1.66 crore bridge over Ashwani Khud and a Rs 4.80 crore Industrial Training Institute (ITI).
The CM said that it was unfortunate that the in spite of appointing adequate number ofdoctors and para-medical staff, opening primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) in remote areas, there is a shortage of doctors and supporting staff in these institutions.
"Wherever I go, people complain about vacancies in health institutions and theHealth department will have to ponder on this issue seriously and strictly adhere to my instructions," the chief minister said.
He said that strict action would be taken against para- medical staff or doctor if they are found absent from their place of posting.
He also directed that all the posts of doctors and para- medical staff, lying vacant in Junga be filled within a day.
Earlier, laying the foundation stone of Rs 1.83 crore "nature park" at famous tourist resort of Craignano, about 16 km from here, Singh said that tulips would blossom and a Tulip Garden would be set up at Craignano hills, named after a town in Italy.
Additional Chief Secretary Tarun Kapoor said that about ten hectares of land would be utilised by the forest department for setting up the nature park, along-with basic amenities for tourists which include an amphitheatre, a cafeteria, tented accommodation for visitors, children park, water bodies, strolling trails etc.
He said that the department also proposes to erect a bust or statue of Lord Buddha in the park.
The chief minister also visited the old Craignano rest house and directed the officials to renovate it
He said besides tulips, a rose garden and other native and exotic species should also be planted. He also planted a sampling of Chinar.
A similar nature park is also coming up at Kanlog on the outskirts of Shimla at a cost of Rs 4 crore.
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