TB Hits Nursing Institute in Rampur, Probe Exposes Rot: Malnutrition, Mess Scam, Official Apathy Under Scanner. Government TB Mukt Himachal Slogan only eats up Public Funds.
Rampur (Shimla district): A shocking case of administrative collapse has surfaced at a government-run nursing institute attached to the MG Civil Hospital in Rampur, where two girl students have tested positive for tuberculosis (TB), triggering panic and exposing a deeper rot in the system.
As many as 15 other students have been put on preventive TB medication to contain the spread.
But the disease, it now appears, is only the symptom—the real infection lies in years of unchecked mismanagement, neglect, and official apathy.
An inquiry conducted by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Rampur, has laid bare “severe mismanagement” in the institute, painting a grim picture of how a government facility meant to train future healthcare workers has been reduced to a breeding ground of malnutrition and neglect.
Mess Charges Taken, Nutrition Denied
Despite charging ₹3,600 per month per student as mess fees, the institute has allegedly failed to provide even basic, scheduled meals. The mess contractor, operating unchecked, has been running the kitchen at will, with no fixed diet plan, no quality control, and no accountability.
Students, according to the report and parents, were forced to survive on nutritionally poor food, leading to declining health and increased vulnerability to infections like TB.
“This is not just mismanagement—it’s criminal neglect,” a parent said, expressing shock over the absence of any weekly diet chart or monitoring mechanism in a health institution.
Principal Suspended, But System Still Untouched
Following the probe, the institute’s Principal, Dr. Gautam, has been placed under suspension for alleged negligence in overseeing mess operations and student welfare. However, the action appears too little, too late, as the systemic failure runs far deeper.
Officials at the Civil Hospital confirmed that preventive TB treatment has been administered to other students, while the infected students are undergoing treatment.
Health Department in the Dock
The scandal has raised serious questions on the functioning of the state health department, under whose direct control the institute operates.
From the Director of Health Services to senior medical education authorities, no one appears to have conducted regular inspections or ensured compliance with basic standards.
Parents have alleged that top officials and even ministers limit their visits to ceremonial appearances, turning a blind eye to ground realities.
“The institute was left to run on the whims of the principal and the contractor. No one cared to check what students were being fed or how they were living,” said another parent.
Big Claims, Ground Reality Bleak
Despite big hoardings put up by the Health Directorate in Shimla projecting a “TB-Free Himachal” campaign of Sukhu Government’s Vyastha Parivartan —widely seen as a drain on public funds—its own nursing institutions are turning into breeding grounds for the disease.
The girl students were deputed to chase monkeys from the institute and doing other private chores.
In a glaring contradiction, girl students are being pushed into illness under the very nose of the department, exposing the hollowness of official claims.
The situation has also put the spotlight on the state’s Health Minister, who is facing criticism for failing to hold officials accountable, including the controversial Health Secretary, over the deteriorating condition of health institutions across Himachal.
Inquiry Filed, Action Missing
Despite the SDM submitting a detailed report to the government, including the Health Secretary and top officials, no comprehensive corrective action has followed so far, raising concerns of bureaucratic indifference.
A Failure That Cuts Deep
What makes the episode more disturbing is that the victims are nursing students—future frontline health workers—who themselves became casualties of a broken system.
From malnutrition to disease outbreak, from financial exploitation to administrative silence, the Rampur nursing institute case stands as a damning indictment of governance failure in Himachal’s health education system.
Residents demand that accountability must be fixed beyond token suspension which are only face saving move. All other private and government nursing colleges must be investigated to put them on healthy track as they only hook students and make money by charging hefty fees.
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