Shimla, April 30 (PTI) Hundreds of women associated with the All India Democratic Women’s Association and the Shimla Nagarik Sabha on Thursday staged a protest outside the Indira Gandhi Medical College against a state government decision to shift the gynaecology OPD of the Kamala Nehru Hospital to the IGMC, demanding immediate rollback of the move.
The protesters also demanded that the government ensure modern facilities, including IVF and robotic surgery, for women at the Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH), not divide the antenatal and gynaecology OPDs, roll back the steep hike in fees, and ensure regular recruitment to fill vacant posts of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and other employees.
Ranjana Jaret, state president of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), said, “The government is privatising healthcare, imposing exorbitant fees and depriving people of access to medical care. If the government wishes to offer robotic surgery to women, it should be provided at the KNH.
“The established women’s hospital should not be dismantled for the sake of robotic surgery. Due to a shortage of staff, it will be difficult to run the gynaecology OPD at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC).” A delegation of protesters later submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, and Health Secretary M Sudha Devi to the IGMC principal, demanding that the gynaecology OPD be operated at the KNH.
It also threatened to launch a mass movement if the demands were not met. PTI COR ARI
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