Sukhu Government Turning Patients into Revenue Source: Jairam Thakur
Former CM and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur
Shimla, June 25: In a strongly worded statement from Shimla, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur accused the Sukhu-led Congress government of exploiting sick and vulnerable patients as a means of generating revenue. Thakur alleged that due to the government’s administrative failures, people are no longer receiving free treatment under the HIMCARE scheme, and instead, a growing list of hospital charges is being imposed on them.
He said the government is now planning to increase the meal charges for patients admitted at IGMC Shimla and is also proposing to introduce admission fees for patients. “This won’t remain limited to IGMC,” Thakur warned. “It will gradually be rolled out across the state.” He recalled that the administration had previously introduced a ₹10 registration fee under the guise of system reform, which is now being collected in hospitals statewide.
“The government is slowly introducing a series of charges across health institutions,” he said, “and all of it is being paid by ordinary citizens, while the Chief Minister chooses to remain conveniently unaware, dismissing these actions as misinformation.”
Thakur asserted that caring for the sick is not just a humanitarian obligation, but a duty of the state, and accused the present government of using the ill as instruments of revenue. “Since coming to power, this so-called reformist government has systematically dismantled the healthcare infrastructure,” he said.
The former Chief Minister pointed to failures in delivering free medicines, diagnostic services, and treatments under HIMCARE and Ayushman Bharat. “Vendors and suppliers are pleading with the government to clear long-pending dues. The result is a breakdown in services, and people are being forced to run from pillar to post for basic care,” he said. “Without providing any meaningful facilities, the government is adding fee upon fee under the name of ‘services’.”
Thakur urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to abandon the model of burdening the sick to fix the economy and instead focus on restoring Himachal’s reputation as a welfare state.
Demands Probe into Irregularities in Fina Singh Project
Jairam Thakur also raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the Fina Singh project, calling on the Chief Minister to order a thorough investigation. “There are growing accusations of manipulation of rules and favoritism in awarding contracts. This is not only harmful to the project but detrimental to the entire state,” he said. Thakur emphasized that transparency and accountability must be the government’s top priority, especially when allegations of corruption continue to surface across various projects.
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