Uproar in Himachal assembly over Himcare Scheme, Opposition stages walkout

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly witnessed uproar on Tuesday during Question Hour over the Himcare scheme, with opposition members staging a walkout after raising slogans against the government.

BJP MLA Vinod Kumar asked whether the Himcare scheme had been discontinued, alleging that patients were not receiving its benefits.

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He pointed out that cardholders were being denied free treatment at government hospitals, including Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Shimla, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College Tanda in Kangra, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Nerchowk in Mandi, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College Chamba, and AIIMS Bilaspur, particularly cardiac patients.

Responding to the query, Health Minister Dr Dhani Ram Shandil clarified that the Himcare scheme had not been shut down, though liabilities of over ₹364.20 crore remain pending. He added that while 25 private institutions had been empanelled for dialysis, the scheme had been discontinued in some private hospitals earlier due to irregularities.

Intervening in the discussion, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu assured the House that no patient’s treatment would be stopped under Himcare. He stressed that while the scheme was launched for public welfare, it had been misused by certain private hospitals and medical shops.

The Chief Minister informed that the government had already spent ₹550 crore on the scheme and was now conducting mapping to assess its beneficiaries. He further alleged that the previous BJP government failed to install an MRI machine at Nerchowk, forcing patients to turn to private hospitals, which in turn raised inflated bills under Himcare.

Highlighting his government’s focus on healthcare, Sukhu announced that ₹3,000 crore was being invested to strengthen health infrastructure. “Robotic surgery has already started at Chamyana Hospital and will soon begin at Tanda Medical College. Automated labs are also being set up at IGMC, Chamyana, and Tanda at a cost of ₹75 crore,” he said.

Reiterating that treatment under Himcare would not be halted, the Chief Minister vowed to expose irregularities committed during the previous regime. He alleged that the opposition staged the walkout merely to avoid a discussion on these scams.