The Uttarakhand government on Monday announced a major healthcare push for Champawat and adjoining border districts, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurating an advanced MRI machine and highlighting health infrastructure projects worth more than ₹40 crore in the region.
The MRI machine, installed through CSR support from the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth at a cost of nearly ₹6 crore, is expected to reduce dependence on larger urban centres such as Haldwani for specialised diagnostic services.
The announcement reflects the state government’s broader strategy of improving healthcare accessibility in hill and border districts, where lack of advanced medical facilities has historically forced patients to travel long distances for treatment.
Addressing a gathering in Champawat, the CM said the government’s vision extended beyond immediate healthcare requirements and focused on building a future-ready medical ecosystem across Uttarakhand.
Dhami said residents of Champawat, Pithoragarh, Almora and nearby regions would now have access to advanced investigations for neurological disorders, spinal conditions, cancer and stroke at the local level.
The Chief Minister also highlighted ongoing projects aimed at strengthening district healthcare infrastructure. A 50-bed critical care block is being constructed at Champawat district hospital at an estimated cost of ₹20 crore. Another ₹11.71 crore is being spent on a diagnostic wing, modern operation theatres and parking infrastructure within the hospital premises.
The government is simultaneously investing in healthcare manpower development. Dhami said construction of a 129-bed hostel for the Integrated Nursing Institute had been completed at a cost of ₹4.7 crore, while efforts to establish a new paramedical college in Champawat were progressing.
The CM said the state government was committed to ensuring that financial constraints do not become a barrier to treatment. He added that beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat and Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand schemes were receiving free and cashless healthcare services across the state.
Officials said the initiatives were expected to strengthen healthcare delivery in remote and strategically important border areas of Uttarakhand.
