The Governing Council of Rogi Kalyan Samiti, Himachal Pradesh Government Dental College and Hospital, Shimla approved estimated budget expenditure of Rs. 335.7 lakh for the financial year 2013-14 in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Kaul Singh Thakur, Health and Family Welfare Minister here in Shimla.

Kaul Singh Thakur directed the Dental College and officers of the Health Department to organise dental check up camps in Rural and far flung areas of the State besides other areas and to install a new X-Ray machine at Dental College, Shimla. He said that the State Government would provide grant in aid to the Dental College for giving better health services to the patients. He said that the State Government was committed to provide better health services to the people and various scheme were being implemented in this direction.

The Health Minister said that 76632 OPD patients were treated, 365 operations conducted besides 33797 X-rays were done during the year 2012-13 in Dental College and Hospital Shimla. He said that the essential posts lying vacant in the college would be filled up on priority basis.

Kaul Singh Thakur said that it was endeavour of the State Government to further improve the health services adding that annual plan allocation for health sector had been increased by 24 percent (Rs. 195 to Rs. 242 crore) in the current fiscal year which was a record increase. Annual plan under NRHM had also been increased to Rs. 220 crore from Rs. 158 crore. He said that Plan Allocation for Medical Education had been increased to Rs. 30 crore from Rs. seven crore which was more than four fold increase.

Ali Raza Rizvi, Principal Secretary, Health, Suresh Bhardwaj, MLA, Shimla Constituency, Official and Non-Official Members of the Governing Council, Dr. Jai Shree Sharma, Director, Medical Education, Prof. R.P. Luthra, Principal, Government, Dental College, Shimla and P.S. Rana, Secretary, Red Cross were also present in the meeting.