Chandigarh: In a significant move to enhance pediatric care, Haryana CM Nayab Singh has approved an allocation of Rs. 44.1 crore per annum to further strengthen the 12-bedded Pediatric HDU/ICU units already established in various district hospitals across the state.
While disclosing this here today, Health Minister Dr. Kamal Gupta said that these 12-bedded Pediatric HDU/ICU units were initially set up under the Emergency COVID Response Package Phase-II (ECRP-II). He highlighted that out of the Rs. 44.1 crore, Rs. 38.8 crore would be utilized annually for the engagement of essential medical personnel, including 21 Intensivists, 105 Duty Medical Officers (trained in ICU), 420 ICU-trained Staff Nurses/Nursing Sisters, 105 OT/Anesthesia Technicians, and 21 Counselors to ensure the smooth operationalization of these Pediatric HDU/ICU units.
He said that the recruitment of this critical workforce would be conducted through walk-in interviews, advertised on the Directorate General Health Services (DGHS) website and the National Health Mission (NHM) portal. A committee headed by the DGHS would oversee the recruitment process. In addition, support staff would be engaged through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited (HKRNL) with an estimated yearly expenditure of Rs. 5.3 crore.
To streamline operations, a separate cell would be created within the DGHS office to maintain records and manage other service-related matters concerning the engaged manpower for the operationalization of ICUs.
Dr. Gupta emphasized the government’s commitment to providing quality healthcare facilities, ensuring that there would be no shortage of funds for providing world class healthcare facilities in government hospitals across the state. He also reiterated the continuous efforts to upgrade the infrastructure of state government health facilities, ensuring adequate manpower to deliver optimal healthcare services to the public.