Himachal CM hints at MBBS internship stipend hike, promises budgetary support

The Himachal Pradesh government is considering an increase in the internship stipend paid to MBBS students, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday. The government will make the necessary budgetary provisions for the proposed hike, he said during an interaction with students at Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College in Hamirpur.

The announcement came as students raised questions about improving medical education and infrastructure at the government medical college. Sukhu said the state government was working to improve the quality of medical education, with a focus on modern technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The proposed stipend revision would provide financial relief to medical interns, although the chief minister did not specify the proposed revised amount or a timeline for implementing the increase.

Responding to a student’s question about developing Government Medical College, Hamirpur, into a leading medical institution, Sukhu outlined several infrastructure projects planned for the campus.

These include a modern amphitheatre, an auditorium and a library. Separate hostels for male and female students, each with a capacity of 300, are also under construction.

Sukhu said the college’s layout plan had been prepared with the assistance of a Japanese company. The state government also plans to establish a super-speciality block, a cancer hospital, a dental college and a nursing college at the institution. Research activities will be encouraged, he added.

The chief minister also addressed concerns about student safety and the facilities available at the college, outlining the infrastructure being developed to support medical education.

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In another announcement, Sukhu said the selection process for 10 postgraduate students and 10 MBBS students from each of the state’s medical colleges was nearing completion. The selected students would soon be sent abroad to study medical practices and gain exposure to developments in the field.

The government aims to strengthen medical education by combining infrastructure development with greater exposure to modern medical practices and technology, Sukhu said.