No. 848/2025-PUB 26th July 2025
To strengthen healthcare services across the State, the state government has substantially enhanced the honorarium of technical staff working in the health sector. Keeping in view the high vacancy positions of technical staff, the State Government has decided to enhance the honorarium substantially. The honorarium for operation theatre assistants has been enhanced by Rs. 7,180 raising it from Rs. 17,820 to Rs. 25,000 per month, whereas the honorarium for radiographers and x-ray technicians has been almost doubled. The honorarium for this category has been increased by Rs. 11,900 raising it from Rs. 13,100 to Rs. 25,000 per month.
The Spokesperson said here today that 382 posts of Operation Theatre Assistants is sanctioned in the State and 226 positions are lying vacant, whereas out of the 282 sanctioned posts of Radiographers and X-Ray Technicians 129 posts are vacant. The low honorarium has been a major deterrent for technical professionals to join the government sector, leading to critical staff shortage in the hospitals. Taking cognizance of the issue, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the department to address the issue and ensure better honorarium to the technical staff. The main concern of the Chief Minister was that the patients receiving health care services in the State is not affected due to the shortage of staff. Following the directives of the Chief Minister, the department drafted a new proposal to enhance the honorarium and this was subsequently approved by the State Cabinet.
The Spokesperson said that in the coming times, this decision would help the health department to bridge the gap and fill up the posts which were lying vacant for years. He said that the technical staff working in the hospitals and medical colleges play a vital role in the diagnostic services and are the backbone in the health care delivery system. He said that this decision is expected to deliver positive results in the coming times.
He said that, at present, the seats in paramedical staff in government sector are very few and the present State Government has decided to increase seats of technician courses in the Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, district Kangra. He said that the government has enhanced the seat capacity in providing training in courses like B.Sc. medical laboratory technique, B.Sc. radio and imaging, B.Sc. anaesthesia and OT technique from 10 each to 50 seats each per course in Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, whereas the seats in B.Sc. medical laboratory technique, B.Sc. radiology and imaging and B.Sc. anaesthesia and OT Technique has been increased from 18 each to 50 seats each, per course in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda to ensure that youth of the state get training within the State.
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