The Union Health Ministry has allowed the Himachal Government to procure additional 50 ambulances from the fund available under the ECRP-II (emergency response and health systems preparedness package).

The Ministry has approved this after the meeting of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur with the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya at New Delhi on Thursday.

A spokesman of the State Government said that the Ministry has agreed that the State could now take up brick and mortar constructions in place of pre fabricated structures for construction of makeshift hospitals if required to tackle the Corona pandemic.

He said that this decision of the Central Government would enable the state to create permanent health infrastructure. This would not only provide better and reliable transport facilities to the patients but would also ensure prompt transportation of patients in any exigency. With this the response time would be less than 30 minutes, he said.

The spokesman said that the resource envelope of Himachal under ECRP-II which was Rs 203.86 crore has been enhanced to Rs 240.56 crore on the request of the Chief Minister.

The spokesman further said that the Union Health Ministry has also approved the proposals for rationalization of salary structure of staff under NHM and also engagement of additional urban ASHAs under the supplementary PIP.

CM calls on Union Education Minister

The Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur called on Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan and requested him for starting the work on both the campuses of Central University in the state at the earliest.

He also urged the release of the installment under Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) to the state soon. He also apprised him about the progress of various other schemes in the education sector.