Misc News/Press Release
Sufficient health staff in rural Himachal, but doctors unwilling to serve in remote regions: CM Virbhadra

Nowadays this profession has become a source of minting money, he said. Doctors are found busy adjusting their transfers and framing reasons for not going to rural and far-flung areas.
SHIMLA- To counter the regular complaints regarding lack of doctors in Himachal Pradesh’s remote rural regions, the Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, while addressing a public meeting in Junga Tehsil, Shimla, blamed unwillingness of the doctors to serve. He also took the command of transfer and posting of doctors in his own hands. He directed the department to take his approval first before making any transfer or posting. He said that the government had appointed adequate number of doctors and para medical staff, opened Primary Health Centres ( PHCs) Community Health Centres (CHCs) in remote areas, but it had been observed that these institutions still lack staff and doctors.
The Chief Minister was addressing a public meeting at Junga where he also laid foundation stone of Rs.1.66 crore bridge over Ashwani Khud and Rs.4.80 crore Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Junga.
Wherever he goes he receives complaints from people about vacancies in health institutions, the CM remarked. The HP Health Department will have to ponder on this issue seriously and should strictly adhere to his instructions, said the CM.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the medical profession. Nowadays this profession has become a source of minting money, he said. Doctors are found busy adjusting their transfers and framing reasons for not going to rural and far-flung areas. He directed the health department to take approval of Chief Minister before transferring or posting any doctor. Priority should be given to post doctors in rural and far-flung areas, he said.
He warned that the para medical staff or doctors, if found absent in his/her place of posting, strict action would be taken.
We have to be strict and frame a policy that doctors posted in rural areas should complete their tenure and work with dedication, in service of people and not just adopt the profession for earnings,
he said.
The Chief Minster also directed to fill all vacant posts of doctors and para medical staff in the hospital at Junga within a day.
Contrary to this statement, the doctors in remote regions had been creating hue and cry over lack of even basic amenities including poor condition of residential quarters.
The Health Minister, Kaul Singh Thakur, in July 2016, had admitted that inspite of the recruitment of 516 doctors, the back log of vacancies was huge and there were about 650 vacant posts of doctors in government hospitals. In an effort to deal with this backlog of shortage of staff, the department had increased the sanctioned strength of MBBS doctors from 1597 to 2091. The department had even announced walk-in interviews to fill the posts.
Moreover, the retirement age of General Duty Doctors (GDO) was raised from 58 to 60 years. The retirement age of Medical Teachers, deployed in four under-construction medical colleges, was raised to 65. The government had hinted that the age could be further raised to 70 years.
Campus Watch
Include Yoga as Compulsory Subject in Himachal’s Schools, Demands HPYSA

Shimla-Himachal Pradesh Yogasana Sports Association (HPYSA), Chairman, Prof. GD Sharma, has urged the State Government to include Yoga as a compulsory subject at the school level and to teach it in colleges as well. While addressing a press conference very recently, he said that Yoga has been recognized as a sport by the government of India and sports quota in jobs will now apply to Yoga players.
GD Sharma said the inclusion of Yoga at schools and college would open new avenues for the youth as a career. He said that HPYSA has launched a statewide drive to connect youth in the Hill state with Yoga. It’s all set to organize the first online State level Yogasana Contest in March and winners, thereof, will participate in the national championship to be held from March 24 to 26.
HPYSA is affiliated with the National Yogasana Sports Association, a body recognized by the central ministry of youth affairs and sports, he added.
Sharma, a former professor of HP University, has been instrumental in promoting Yoga across the globe when he was posted in Indonesia by the government of India with a diplomat status from 1992 to 1997
He said HPYSA will make all efforts to create job opportunities for youth through Yoga.
About Recognition of Yogasana as a Competitive Sport.
On December 17, 2020, the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had announced the formal recognition of Yogasana as a competitive sport.
The Government of India had said that Yogasana is an integral and important component of Yoga, which is psycho-physical in nature and popular across the globe for its efficacy in fitness and general wellness.
It had further added , “Yogasana becoming a sport will also ensure new technologies and new strategies being inducted into the disciplines, to benefit our athletes and officials towards building fruitful and fulfilling careers in this field”.
The government had also said that it was planning to include Yogasana as a Sport discipline in Khelo India and in the University Games and we will also pitch it at the National Games and in Olympics.
The AYUSH ministry had said that the sports discipline of Yogasana is likely to have 51 medals in 4 events & 7 categories. The proposed events for both men and women include Traditional Yogasana, Artistic Yogasana (Single), Artistic Yogasana (Pair), Rhythmic Yogasana (Pair), Free Flow/Group Yogasana, Individual All Round – Championship and Team Championship.
According to the AYUSH, following steps or activities will form part of the road map and the future development of Yogasana Sport:
- A pilot Yogasana Competition named as “National Individual Yogasana Sports Championship (Virtual Mode) to be held in early 2021.
- Launching of an Annual Calendar of competitions, events and programs of Yogasana sport.
- Development of Automated Scoring System for the Yogasana Championship.
- Courses for Coaches, Referees, Judges and Directors of competitions.
- Coaching camps for players.
- Launch of a League of Yogasana, to ensure a career and social status for performers, experts and practitioners, to create Sports Stars among Yogasana athletes.
- To introduce Yogasana as a Sport discipline in National Games, Khelo India and international sports events.
- Steps to create job opportunities for Yogasana athletes.
Misc News/Press Release
Himachal Pradesh: Today Last Chance for First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine for Left-Out Health Care Workers

Shimla-Mission Director National Health Mission, Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Nipun Jindal yesterday informed that 25th February 2021 will be the last date of the mop-up round for the vaccination of Health Care Workers (HCWs).
All the Chief Medical Officers were directed to prepare the list of all such Health Care Workers who are registered on CoWIN portal but have not been vaccinated for the first dose till date. Districts have been directed to create sessions for all such left out beneficiaries as per the requirement to ensure maximum coverage of Health Care Workers.
All the CMOs were further directed to analyse and review their block-wise coverage to assess the left-out beneficiaries and to further direct their Block Medical Officers to arrange sessions in all the blocks. It was also reiterated to utilize all available channels of communication to reach out to the left-out beneficiaries.
Dr. Nipun Jindal further informed that this will be the last chance for all HCWs to get the first dose of the COVID vaccine. He appealed to all registered but not vaccinated health care workers for reporting to their nearest session site on 25th February for getting vaccinated irrespective of receiving SMS for the session scheduling. Such beneficiaries will be scheduled on-site.
He further informed that till now more than 78 percent of registered Health Care Workers have been vaccinated in the State. So far only 0.5 percent AEFI cases have been reported, of which only one needed hospitalization.
He further appealed to the beneficiaries to ignore any rumours and come forward to get themselves vaccinated as the vaccine is completely safe.
Dr. Jindal also informed that Himachal Pradesh is the leading state in the country in 2nd dose coverage of Health Care Workers, achieving more than 91 percent of the expected target.
Misc News/Press Release
HP Govt Notifies New Paragliding, River Rafting Sites, Plans Floating Restaurant at Tattapani

Shimla-New sites for adventure sports activities in Himachal Pradesh has been notified by the State Government, informed Director Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yunus Khan, yesterday.
On 23 February the State Government had announced that it was planning to open a floating restaurant at Tattapani in Mandi district. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had also inaugurated water sports activities at Tattapani from Shimla.
Additional sites for paragliding and river rafting has been notified. Now tourists visiting the state could experience paragliding at new sites in the districts of Kullu, Kangra, Mandi, Chamba, and Shimla.
New notified paragliding sites in Himachal Pradesh include:
- Pandhara to Gadsa and Khargan to Nangabag in district Kullu
- Tang Narwana to Khirku in Kangra district
- Darouta to Lahra (Khajjiar) and Lahra to Darol and Raina to Nainikhad Jarei in Chamba district
- Prashar and Spenidhar in Mandi district
- Tikkar, Junga to Chauri/Junga in Shimla district
New site for river rafting on river Beas from Nadaun to Dehra Bridge has also been notified.
Other than the notified river rafting sites, already existing sites in Himachal includes
- Shamshi to Jehri and Babeli to Pirdi in Kullu district,
- Luhri to Tattapani in Shimla district,
- Darch to Jispa and Kaza Bridge to Tabo in Lahaul-Spiti.
He said that for the safety of paragliding pilots and tourists, the Department of Tourism in collaboration with Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali, has taken the initiative to provide training courses to paragliding pilots, which includes SIV course, a safety training course for Tandem paragliding pilots.
Director said that in the last two years an expenditure of approximately rupees two crore has been incurred on imparting training courses to 749 persons, which includes basic mountaineering course, paragliding course, basic, intermediate and advance skiing course including SIV course for providing training to locals from these newly identified areas.
In addition to these new notified sites, there are many other notified sites in Himachal Pradesh for paragliding for adventure enthusiasts. These sites include
- Bir-Billing, Chohla Indru Nag near Dharamshala in Kangra district,
- Solang Nalah, Marhi, Talaiti-Talogi, Majach-Shanag in Kullu district
- Mauja Rehad to Karganoo in Solan district
- Ser Jagaas in Sirmaur district.
State Government had already also notified H.P. Miscellaneous Adventure Activities ‘Amendment’ Rules. The government also said that it would start new water sports activities like a speed boat, water skiing, jet skiing, ski-boarding, water scooter, cruise etc. in various water bodies.
In the Karsog area, the Government had said, popular tourist destinations such as Mahunag Temple, Kamaksha Temple etc. would be developed from a religious tourism point of view.
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