Shimla:
The Himcare scheme has triggered a full-blown political slugfest between Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur both inside and outside the Vidhan Sabha.
Thakur hit out at the CM for first citing a ₹100 crore scam and later raising it to ₹1100 crore, demanding a probe by a sitting High Court judge to bring out the truth.
The slugfest is no longer confined to the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. It has spilled onto the streets and media platforms, with both leaders trading sharp barbs to gain political mileage ahead of crucial times.
Inside the House, exchanges turned heated as both sides accused each other of misleading the public. Outside, the war of words intensified, with press briefings and statements adding more fuel to the fire.
Amid this game of charges and counter-charges, the core issue risks getting blurred. Himcare, launched in 2019, continues to remain a crucial health lifeline for lakhs of families in the state.
Even as politics heats up, voices across the spectrum stress one point. Himcare is the need of the hour and must be strengthened, not sidelined.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur pressed for an independent inquiry by the sitting judge of High Court to “bare the truth” about the Himcare scheme.
Launched in 2019 on the pattern of Ayushman Bharat, Himcare was meant to cover families left out of the central net with cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh. The scheme has since benefited nearly 10–12 lakh families across Himachal Pradesh, he told media.
Thakur asserted that over 4 lakh patients were treated during the BJP tenure with an expenditure of around ₹441 crore. He claimed the present regime has treated nearly 7 lakh beneficiaries with spending crossing ₹900 crore.
Thakur told media outside Vidhan sabha that he has presented the same facts inside Vidhan Sabha as well. Average spending on the scheme during the BJP time was Rs 11000 per patient where as it is about Rs 14000 per patients during the present regime, he added.
He accused the government of attempting to “defame and dismantle” a lifeline scheme. He demanded a judicial probe to establish the truth and place facts in the public domain.
Responding to the Opposition charge, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu flagged alleged irregularities and spoke of audit gaps in the scheme.
He told media that the government has ordered vigilance probe into the scheme and hinted at a shift towards an health insurance-based model, about which he was not clear as of now.
The opposition warned that insurance models come with “ifs and buts” and may not serve welfare objectives effectively. There is no denying the fact that private insurance companies are profit-driven and this reality cannot be ignored.
The timing of the move has also raised concerns in political circles. With this being the last year of the Sukhu government’s term, any abrupt shift from a scheme running since 2019 is being seen as ill-advised.
Himcare has been appreciated beyond Himachal Pradesh and similar models have been replicated by other states. This, the opposition says, calls for a positive approach rather than dismantling the scheme.
A pressing ground reality is adding urgency to the debate. Thousands of beneficiaries who availed treatment under Himcare are still awaiting payments even since 2022–23.
Hospitals and patients alike are caught in a financial limbo due to delayed reimbursements. “Treatment toh ho gaya, par paise ab tak nahi mile… hum karj mei dube hue hain”, said a patient, reflecting the growing distress.
There is now a strong demand that the government must immediately release pending dues. Restoring trust in the scheme has become as important as defending it politically.
Experts and opposition voices are urging the government to plug loopholes instead of abandoning the framework. Bringing Himcare under a strict audit net and ensuring transparency are being seen as steps forward.
Fixing billing mechanisms and ensuring transparent empanelment of hospitals is also being stressed. Introducing Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to actual patients is being suggested to cut leakages.
The larger issue emerging from the debate is clear. Reform the scheme, do not roll it back.
As the debate in Vidhan Sabha and outside heats up, the real test for the government will be its next move.
Whether it chooses course correction over course change will decide the future of Himcare and its beneficiaries. But it is ill-advised move to dismantle the scheme running for over seven years.
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