Shimla, May 5: The Himachal government’s move to explore shifting the state’s premier maternity facility from Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH) to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) has snowballed into a full-blown controversy, with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu now ordering a formal feasibility exercise — even as protests and questions grow louder.
Chairing a late evening review meeting of the Health Department, the Chief Minister directed the constitution of a committee under Secretary Ashish Singhmar to identify space within IGMC for an integrated Mother and Child Hospital (MCH). The stated aim: to provide “world-class healthcare under one roof.”
But on the ground, the move is being seen very differently.
What is shocking is that leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has not uttered a word on the shifting of the KNH indicating that the political class including MLAs are one to dismantle this state level women and child health institution to create a drive in posh mansion for MLAs, charged residents.
Only CPM has come openly opposing the shift and threatened to stage gherao of the Secretariat if the shift is not rollback.
Critics say the proposal effectively sidelines decades of investment in KNH, where over ₹20 crore has already been spent on expansion, with additional phases planned and designs ready.
Instead of strengthening an existing, well-functioning maternity hub, the government now appears keen on consolidating services at IGMC — a facility already struggling with massive patient load, congestion, and space crunch.
Doctors and patients are already feeling the strain. With the gynae OPD shifted to IGMC, women are being forced to run between the two hospitals, disrupting a once streamlined system of maternal care.
Medical insiders warn that shifting the entire load to IGMC could push the institution beyond breaking point. “It is already bursting at the seams,” said a senior doctor, pointing to overcrowding and traffic bottlenecks.
There are also concerns over suitability. IGMC, perched on the colder northern face, is seen as less conducive for mothers and newborns, while KNH, located on the sunnier southern slope, offers better environmental conditions and room for expansion.
Even more politically explosive are allegations from NGOs and women’s groups that the move is aimed at freeing up prime KNH land for an MLA hostel. The government’s decision to formally “explore” the shift has only added fuel to these claims.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also pushed for “zero waiting period” diagnostic services across medical colleges, saying advanced machines and adequate staff are being put in place. He asserted that health and education remain top priorities and claimed there is “no dearth of funds” for reforms.
Senior officials, including IGMC Principal Dr. Sita Thakur and Health Department officers, attended the meeting.
Yet, for many in Shimla, the core question remains unanswered: why dismantle a dedicated women and child hospital with expansion potential, only to squeeze it into an already overcrowded IGMC?
For now, the committee may study feasibility — but outside government rooms, the verdict is already forming: this could be less about healthcare reform and more about real estate reshuffle.
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