Shimla: The state government's recent decision to appoint two separate principals for IGMC (Indira Gandhi Medical College) and its branch, the Atal Superspeciality Institute in Chamyana, has sparked outrage among the medical community and faculty members.
This move, led by the Health Secretary, has been called hasty and short-sighted, upsetting the entire institution at a time when it should be focusing on diagnosis and patient care.
There is no proper access to Chamyana and patients end up becoming football moving from IGMC to Chamyana.
Faculty and staff at IGMC are questioning why, in the midst of an economic crisis, the government is creating confusion by splitting the top tertiary care institution into two.
When Kamla Nehru hospital, another branch of IGMC functions under IGMC then why Atal Superspeciality Institute Chamyana shouldn't question faculty members.
Prestigious health institution like PGI Chandigarh operate with a single director despite multiple superspeciality centers.
Yet, IGMC now has two principals, reducing the prominence of the main campus named after Indian Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi while giving undue importance to its branch, Chamyana.
Worse still, this decision comes at a time when IGMC is struggling with basic healthcare issues.
Many of the hospital’s critical and expensive diagnostic tests are being referred to private labs because the outsourced lab within IGMC is not equipped with advanced testing facilities.
Vital diagnostic tools like MRI and CT scan machines are outdated and break down frequently, causing significant inconvenience to patients and delaying crucial treatments.
Adding to the chaos, the health and hygiene standards at IGMC are plummeting.
The contractor responsible for maintaining cleanliness has been lax, failing to meet the mandated standards.
Despite the terms and conditions under the medical mandate, hospital hygiene has taken a backseat, posing serious risks to patients.
The Health Secretary’s rushed and myopic decision has not only disrupted the administration but has also taken the focus away from urgent matters like diagnosis and hygiene, leaving the entire institution in disarray.
The High Court has already intervened, halting the premature shifting of OPDs to Chamyana.
This leaves many questioning why the government has appointed two principals to 'split' IGMC when the core issues plaguing the hospital remain unresolved.
Is this how the state bureaucracy plans to manage its healthcare system during a financial crisis—by creating confusion, outsourcing basic diagnosis services to lab, which is not fully equipped, and mismanaging resources?
The decision threatens to undermine the significance of IGMC, leaving patients to suffer the consequences with faculty unhappy with this decision.
