Munish Sood
Mandi
Soon after Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the robotic surgery facility at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Nerchowk, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounted a sharp political response, crediting the initiative to the efforts of the Central Government and the previous BJP regime in Himachal Pradesh.
Balh MLA Inder Singh Gandhi said that the advanced healthcare facilities now being introduced at Nerchowk Medical College are the result of sustained support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, along with the groundwork laid during the tenure of former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Union Health Minister for establishing the robotic surgery facility in the region, Gandhi said the Central Government has consistently supported the strengthening of healthcare infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh. He described the introduction of robotic surgery as a major milestone that will provide patients with access to advanced and high-quality treatment closer to home.
Gandhi said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre has extended significant assistance to Himachal Pradesh in the health sector, enabling the expansion of facilities at Nerchowk Medical College. He added that several important projects, including the Trauma Centre at Nerchowk, were initiated during the previous BJP government led by Jai Ram Thakur.
The Balh legislator said he had personally raised the demands of the medical college on several occasions with Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, following which the Centre provided generous support that accelerated the expansion of medical facilities at the institution.
Launching a strong attack on the Congress-led state government, Gandhi alleged that while the Central Government is working to strengthen healthcare services and medical colleges, the state government’s approach towards health infrastructure has remained “weak and indifferent”.
He further alleged that after the Congress government assumed office in Himachal Pradesh, a large number of doctors were abruptly transferred from Nerchowk Medical College, adversely affecting healthcare services in the region.
“The state government is trying to mislead the public through announcements instead of actually strengthening health facilities,” Gandhi said. “Mass transfers of doctors and hollow declarations in the name of healthcare reveal the functioning of the present government.”
He maintained that the new facilities being introduced at Nerchowk are largely the outcome of the Central Government’s support and the visionary planning of the previous Jai Ram Thakur-led government. According to him, the current state government has not launched any major new healthcare initiative so far and is merely attempting to take credit for projects that were already underway.
