BJP Accuses Congress Ministers of Deteriorating Himachal’s Economy: Bhardwaj’s Strong Allegations

Shimla: Dr. Rajeev Bhardwaj, BJP’s state vice-president and Member of Parliament, has criticized the Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh for its alleged mismanagement of the state’s economy. He claimed that under Congress rule, the economic condition of the state has worsened significantly, with Congress ministers and Chief Minister continuously avoiding questions and misleading the public. Dr. Bhardwaj further expressed his confusion over the Chief Minister’s recent statement about taking the matter to the Supreme Court, questioning the reasoning behind it.

One of the key concerns raised by Dr. Bhardwaj was the alarming shortage of doctors in Himachal Pradesh’s hospitals and medical colleges. According to the 2022-23 report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), there is a severe shortage of medical professionals across the state, with deficiencies ranging from 9 to 56 percent. Notably, Chamba and Sirmaur districts have been identified as the most affected, with a 42 percent shortage of doctors.

Dr. Bhardwaj pointed out that from Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla to district hospitals, the absence of specialist doctors has been significant, with some areas facing shortages of up to 69 percent. The CAG report also highlighted that several district and civil hospitals, which are meant to provide nine to 11 outpatient departments (OPDs), were only operating with two to five OPDs due to the lack of medical staff. Despite spending substantial amounts on medical equipment, the absence of sufficient staff has rendered these facilities ineffective for the patients.

In response to any possible denial from Congress leaders, Dr. Bhardwaj made it clear that these figures were not fabricated by BJP leaders but were official government statistics. He urged the public to take these figures seriously, calling for immediate attention to resolve the crisis in the state’s healthcare sector.