KNH Row: Women, Doctors Tear Into Govt Logic; Call Gynae Shift “Unscientific, Dangerous and stressful for health care professionals and the patients.”
Shimla: The government is on defensive on its silent move to shift and merge the KNH to IGMC to make room for creation of MLA hostel.
Thev citizens are up in arms against the ill-advised move and vow to defend KNH and its gynaecology and obstetrics department at all cost.
Now CM has come closer to reality saying that they are shifting only "gynaecology wing from the historic Kamla Nehru Hospital to Indira Gandhi Medical College".
But it has backfired on him. Even it means the same think. His diluted stand has also snowballed into a public backlash
The protesting women, citizens and medical experts reject Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s logic as “ill-advised and medically untenable.”
On the ground, the anger is sharp and unambiguous. Women groups, including the All India Democratic Women’s Association, staged protests inside KNH premises, calling the move an “assault on a century-old institution emotionally tied to motherhood in Himachal.”
“Same department, same patients—why split?”
Doctors and health experts are united on one core point: gynaecology and obstetrics are inseparable in practice.
Whether it is an expectant mother or a woman with other reproductive health issues, both are treated within the same gynaecology framework.
"Splitting them across two hospitals has no scientific basis,” said a senior faculty member, requesting anonymity.
What CM Needs to Understand
A Mother and Child Hospital like Kamla Nehru Hospital is a complete healthcare centre for women and newborns.
It is designed to handle everything under one roof—women’s general health issues, pregnancy care, childbirth, and treatment of babies.
It is not just a delivery centre, but a full system dedicated to women and child health.
Gynaecology deals with all health issues of women—such as menstrual problems, infections, uterus-related diseases, and hormonal disorders. Obstetrics, on the other hand, focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, and post-delivery care.
But in reality, both are closely linked and are handled by the same doctors—gynaecologists.
Medically, these two cannot be separated because they involve the same organs, same patients, and often overlapping conditions.
A woman visiting for a general gynaecological issue may turn out to be pregnant, and a pregnancy case can quickly develop complications requiring gynaecological intervention. This makes them part of one continuous healthcare system.
Separating these services between Kamla Nehru Hospital and Indira Gandhi Medical College would mean patients being shifted back and forth, delays in emergencies, and broken continuity of care.
That is why experts say clearly: gynaecology and obstetrics must function together at one place for safe and scientific treatment.
Public health experts warn the move could create chaos in patient care.
“You are effectively turning women into ‘referral cases on wheels’—shuttling between IGMC and KNH for related treatments. In emergencies, that delay can cost lives,” said a former state health advisor.
Citizens reject CM’s ‘no commonality’ claim
The Chief Minister recently clarified that only the gynaecology ward was being shifted and that KNH would continue as a 270-bedded hospital. He even hinted at expansion—appearing to soften his earlier silent talks of shifting KNH in a phased manner in the name of consolidating services at IGMC, making a ground for construction of an MLA hostel.
But citizens aren’t buying it.
“There is everything common between maternity and gynaecology—this is not a cosmetic clinic, this is a mother and child hospital,” said a protester at KNH.
Another woman added, “You cannot separate delivery care from women’s health. It shows a complete disconnect from ground realities.”
Legacy vs logistics
Built over decades and strengthened significantly during the tenure of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, KNH is not just another hospital—it is a state-level referral centre with deep public trust and government has spent over Rz 20 Crore on new block and phase II was then proposed.
Health professionals argue that instead of fragmenting services, the government should upgrade facilities within KNH itself. It needs to expand health in phase II as proposed and neonatal wards needs to be strengthed
“If robotic surgery or advanced diagnostics are needed, create them here. Don’t dismantle a functioning ecosystem,” said a public health expert.
The patients needing robotic surgery can be treated in department of surgery female. Not many women patients would need robotic surgery, the doctors said.
Political heat rises
Opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), have also flagged concerns, submitting representations to the government and the Governor.
A rethink needed
The larger concern emerging from across sections is clear: the proposed shift risks dividing an integrated healthcare system, overburdening staff, and endangering patient outcomes.
Medical voices are urging the government to pause and reassess.
“Healthcare planning cannot be reduced to administrative convenience. It must follow clinical logic. And here, the logic clearly says—keep gynaecology and maternity services under one roof,” said a senior doctor.
Even gynecologists will be shuttling between IGMC and KNH.
Experts warn the government shouldn't tamper with an institution that has served generations. CM needs to expand health care horizons.
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