Shimla: Patients across government hospitals in Himachal Pradesh are facing considerable hardship following a strike by Krsnaa Diagnostics, which has disrupted diagnostic services and forced many people to approach private laboratories for essential medical tests.
The disruption has affected patients at several government healthcare facilities, including Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla, the state’s largest healthcare institution. At IGMC, sample collection is currently being carried out only for patients requiring emergency care, leaving other patients struggling to access necessary diagnostic services.
Meanwhile, laboratories in government hospitals are conducting only a limited range of tests, further adding to the difficulties faced by patients who depend on public healthcare facilities for affordable diagnostic services.
The situation has become particularly challenging for patients who have been advised by doctors to undergo urgent investigations for diagnosis and treatment. With routine testing services affected, many patients have little option but to approach private laboratories, increasing their out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The disruption has also added to the burden on patients’ attendants and caregivers, who must make additional arrangements to get the prescribed tests conducted outside government hospitals.
The strike has raised concerns over the continuity of essential diagnostic services in public healthcare institutions. Patients are now facing uncertainty over when normal testing facilities will resume, while those requiring timely investigations continue to bear the brunt of the disruption.
