CM SukRobotic surgery will be operational at the medical colleges in Hamirpur, Nerchowk in Mandi, and the IGMC in Shimla by January 2026, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday.

In addition, smart labs are being established at Chamiyana and IGMC in Shimla and Tanda near Dharamsala, Sukhu said in a reply during the Question Hour, adding that the government is investing Rs 3,000 crore in the health sector.

“The state government aims to provide AIIMS Delhi-standard healthcare to its 7.5 million population. Patients in Himachal Pradesh are being charged on the lines of PGI Chandigarh,” Sukhu said.

Since the launch of robotic surgery in the state, 78 operations have been performed at Chamiyana, Shimla, and 38 at the Tanda Medical College, Kangra, in the past two months, he said.

Responding to a supplementary question by BJP MLA Bikram Thakur, the chief minister said the training process for doctors is different, and funds are spent on the lines of AIIMS.

He said 50 per cent of surgeons have been trained in Tanda so far.

Informing that those who occupy special wards in hospitals are charged Rs 50,000 for robotic surgery, Sukhu said the government is considering reducing the fees as the number of surgeries increases.

Stating that he himself underwent a robotic surgery, Sukhu said the procedure has been introduced to ensure better healthcare for the public, and it is being implemented in other medical colleges as well.