A white coat ceremony was held for first-year MBBS students at the Government Medical College, Haldwani. Chief guest MP Ajay Bhatt presented the white coats to 125 students and administered the Maharishi Charak oath. Special guest Medical and Health Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat stated that interviews for 400 assistant professors will soon be held for appointments at the medical college, with 50 of these positions being in Haldwani. Addressing the program held in the medical college auditorium on Sunday, MP Bhatt stated that the state is continuously advancing in the medical and health sectors. Doctors and other medical facilities are being provided in hospitals located in remote areas, along with the installation of modern medical equipment. He urged the students to always have a spirit of service in their hearts. Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat stated that the government is funding postgraduate studies for 400 students in the state, ensuring 100% availability of medical specialists in the state by 2027. He added that Pithoragarh and Rudrapur Medical Colleges will also become operational next year. Rawat also stated that 180 professors and readers were appointed in the state, of which 80 have already joined. Faculty interviews are now scheduled every 15 days in the state. MLA Banshidhar Bhagat, Mayor Gajraj Singh Bisht, Mandi Chairman Dr. Anil Dabbu, Dinesh Arya, office-bearers Suresh Bhatt, Shankar Koranga, Director of Medical Health Dr. Ajay Arya, Medical College Principal Prof. GS Titiyal, Cancer Institute Director Dr. KC Pandey, Medical College MS Dr. Arun Joshi, and CMO Dr. Harish Pant presented white coats to the students at the event. Students taking the oath will adopt five families.
Medical and Health Minister Dr. Dhan Singh stated that each of the 125 doctors who took the Maharishi Charak oath will adopt five families. They will be responsible for the health care of these five families for five years. He added that additional staff positions are being added to Haldwani Medical College. He stated that, along with food and water, facilities such as sports, an e-library, and an open gym are also being improved. He urged students to come forward and work towards a drug-free state. He stated that medical equipment worth ₹55 crore (550 million rupees) has been provided. In the past three years, 25,000 people have been given government jobs in the state, of which 9,000 have been provided by the Health Department.
The Health Minister evaded the question regarding the cathlab.
During a media interaction after the White Coat Ceremony, when the Health Minister was asked about the quality of the cathlab being constructed for heart patients, he evaded the question and began answering other questions. MP Ajay Bhatt and Mandi Parishad Chairman Anil Kapoor Dabboo were also present. The cathlab being constructed at Sushila Tiwari Hospital at a cost of Rs. 9 crore has become a topic of political debate. On October 1st, MP Ajay Bhatt sent a letter to the Chief Minister, acknowledging the delays and negligence in the cathlab’s construction and demanding strict action against the executing agency, the Mandi Parishad, for its gross negligence. He also wrote in the letter that despite multiple notices to the Mandi Parishad, the situation remains the same.
