BJP Spokesperson Ajay Rana Says IGMC and AIIMS Should Be Strengthened Together.
Shimla:
Himachal Pradesh BJP spokesperson Ajay Rana has criticised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s reported statement that Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, is better than AIIMS Bilaspur, saying healthcare institutions should not be compared politically.
Rana said IGMC Shimla is a prestigious and long-established medical institution with extensive experience, specialised expertise and a large patient base. He added that there was no objection to the Chief Minister highlighting its achievements.
However, Rana stressed that AIIMS Bilaspur is also a major healthcare institution and an institute of national importance. Citing official figures, he said AIIMS Bilaspur’s Phase-I infrastructure includes 750 beds, 41 specialty and super-specialty departments, 64 ICU beds and 20 modular operation theatres.
“The real question is not whether IGMC is bigger or AIIMS is bigger. The question is how patients in Himachal can get maximum benefit from both institutions,” Rana said.
He urged the state government to strengthen both institutions rather than placing them against each other. According to him, if IGMC has better facilities in certain areas, those services should be further developed, while patients should be able to access super-specialty services available at AIIMS Bilaspur.
Rana said AIIMS Bilaspur should be viewed as an achievement for Himachal Pradesh and there was no need to undermine the institute to establish the importance of IGMC. At the same time, he said the decades of expertise and contribution of IGMC should not be overlooked.
He called for a healthcare model based on cooperation rather than competition, saying both institutions have an important role in improving medical services across the state.
“Himachal needs both IGMC and AIIMS to be strong. There should be cooperation, not competition; patients, not politics, should remain the priority,” Rana said.
