“Unplanned Shift, Women Left in Chaos” — Sukhu Govt’s Move Hits Century-Old KNH Services
Shimla: Despite widespread opposition and protests, the Himachal Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has dealt a body blow to the state’s premier mother and child hospital, Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH), by shifting gynaecology and obstetrics services to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), triggering chaos and outrage among patients and health experts.
The decision has backfired on the ground. Reports and visuals reveal women patients wandering all day in IGMC for surgeries, only to be sent back without treatment due to lack of operation theatres, OPD arrangements, and even basic seating facilities. The abrupt and poorly planned shift has left patients confused, distressed, and struggling to access essential care.
Health experts have come down heavily on the move, calling it “reckless” and “amateurish.” They argue that gynaecology and obstetrics is a super-specialty that cannot be arbitrarily split. The government’s justification—that newborns requiring critical care can be referred to paediatrics at IGMC—has been dismissed as flawed. Experts point out that such cases are rare and instead stress that neonatal care, now a super-specialty in its own right, should have been strengthened within KNH itself.
The fallout is evident. IGMC lacks dedicated lab facilities and infrastructure for women patients, forcing them into a cycle of referrals and delays.
Doctors and citizens say the shift has created an avoidable crisis, despite repeated warnings from healthcare professionals and women’s groups against such a move.
Adding to the controversy is a growing public perception that the relocation is aimed at freeing up KNH land for other projects, including a possible MLA hostel. While the government has not clearly responded to these allegations, they continue to gain traction in public discourse.
The government’s defence, echoed by media advisor Naresh Chauhan, that the move will benefit patients, has failed to convince stakeholders.
Experts maintain that what is being portrayed as reform is, in reality, the dismantling of a historic healthcare institution that has long been the backbone of maternal and child health services in Himachal Pradesh.
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