Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the temporary closure of the OPD at Chamiyana Super Specialty Hospital, citing serious concerns over the poor condition of roads leading to the facility. The court has directed that the OPD services be relocated back to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) until the issues are resolved.
The decision was handed down by a division bench consisting of Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Satyen Vaidya, who expressed strong disapproval of the state government’s and the Public Works Department’s (PWD) handling of the situation. The court highlighted the significant difficulties faced by patients and their attendants in reaching the hospital due to inadequate infrastructure.
Reports submitted to the court by the Director of the Health Department, the Chief Secretary, and the Medical Superintendent of Chamiyana Super Specialty Hospital revealed several deficiencies in the hospital’s operations. The report pointed out the absence of essential facilities, such as a canteen and a medicine shop. Additionally, the Medical Superintendent of IGMC informed the court that a request made to the HRTC for buses to transport medical staff was denied due to a shortage of both staff and vehicles.
During the proceedings, the Advocate General explained that the road construction delays were due to the involvement of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is responsible for the project. The Superintending Engineer of the PWD also stated that the timely completion of roadwork is contingent upon the availability of sufficient funds from the department.
The court criticized the Health Department for initiating operations at Chamiyana Hospital without ensuring that proper facilities and infrastructure were in place. The division bench ruled that the OPD services will not resume at Chamiyana until better access to the hospital is provided.
The Health Secretary and the PWD have been ordered to file a comprehensive report by October 31, detailing the steps taken to improve the hospital’s condition and repair the access road. The next hearing in this case is scheduled for October 31.
It is worth noting that on August 12, the OPD services of eight departments, including Gastroenterology, Urology, and Neurology, were shifted from IGMC to Chamiyana Super Specialty Hospital.
