Shimla, May 13
The BJP on Tuesday termed the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s stay on the state government’s decision to shift the historic Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH) to the IGMC campus as a “major setback” for the Congress government and a victory for public sentiment.
BJP media coordinator Karn Nanda said the High Court’s strict observations and reprimand to the government clearly indicated that the decision had been taken in haste without considering public concerns and the impact on healthcare services.
He said the BJP had opposed the move from the beginning, maintaining that Kamla Nehru Hospital was not merely a building but a crucial institution linked to healthcare services for lakhs of women across the state.
According to Nanda, shifting the hospital would have adversely affected pregnant women, female patients and people coming from remote areas for treatment. He said the party had consistently raised the issue in public interest and fought against the decision at various levels.
“The BJP carried out protests from the streets to Raj Bhavan. A party delegation also met the Governor seeking intervention in the matter,” he said, adding that BJP leaders and workers had staged demonstrations against the proposed shift at several places.
Targeting the Congress government, Nanda alleged that it had failed to understand public sentiment and should have consulted healthcare experts, local residents and women’s organisations before taking such a decision.
He further said that after the High Court’s intervention, the government’s move had come under serious scrutiny and exposed its “insensitive approach” towards women’s healthcare.
The BJP leader asserted that the party would not allow any compromise on women’s health facilities and would continue its struggle to safeguard public interests. He demanded that the state government completely withdraw the decision and instead focus on strengthening facilities at Kamla Nehru Hospital to ensure better healthcare services for women in Himachal Pradesh.
