Shimla, Apr 5 (IANS): Expressing concern over rise in Covid-19 cases, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu has urged the people to follow the protocols and wear masks at crowded places to check the spread of the virus.

Presiding over a conference on 'Strengthening role of Himachal Pradesh legislators for improving health services during and post-pandemic period in India' organised by the Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IAPPD) here, the Chief Minister said the government was closely monitoring the situation.

He said the government was bringing in reforms in the health sector to provide specialised medical care services to the people. The positive results of these reforms would be visible in the coming time. He said modern technology would be incorporated to make the health institutions of the state world-class so that modern medical facilities were made available to the people at their doorsteps.

Robotic surgery facilities would be available at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda and the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) in Shimla in next six months, which would save the valuable time of the patients and provide accurate results.

The construction work of a PET block has been started in IGMCH, while Rs 50 crore would be spent to install a PET scan machine in Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, he said.

Sukhu said the government has also allocated Rs 11 crore to set up a 175-bed medical emergency facility with a trauma centre at the IGMCH.

He said construction work of Chamba and Hamirpur medical college buildings has been speeded up and likely to be completed this year which will provide specialised medical services to the people of these areas nearer to their homes.