On Monday, the Chief Secretary was ordered by the Himachal Pradesh High Court to call a conference to discuss the operation and usefulness of the super specialty hospital at the Atal Institute of Medical Superspecialties (AIMSS) at Chamiana, Shimla, with all pertinent parties.

This ruling comes after public interest action exposed serious flaws in the hospital’s facilities and infrastructure.

Instead of leaving such judgments to a single individual or small group, the division bench, which included Justice Satyen Vaidya and acting Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to maintain the hospital’s proper running.

Key players like the Medical Superintendent and Principal of IGMC Shimla, representatives from the doctors’ association, paramedical staff, and other government officials like the Director General of Police and Secretary (Health) should all be involved, the court stressed.

The order of the court reads, “We are of the considered view that the question of utility and functioning of the hospital at Chamiana, District Shimla, HP, cannot be left to the wisdom and discretion of a single individual or a group of individuals, and all the stakeholders are required to be associated in deciding as to how best the hospital at Chamiana can be utilized.”

A meeting with the Medical Superintendent, IGMC Shimla, the Principal, IGMC Shimla, the heads of all departments and super specialties, the Director General of Police, the Managing Director of HRTC, the Secretary and Engineer-in-Chief (PWD), the Secretary (Health), and representatives of the Doctors’ Association, paramedical staff, and security was also ordered by the court to be arranged by the Chief Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Government.

In the past, the Health Secretary and other authorities were instructed to give a status report on OPD services across several departments at AIMSS Chamiana by a bench made up of Justice Satyen Vaidya and then Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao. The court has already granted further orders in the case, which was originally scheduled for October 31.

The government said earlier this year that AIMSS Chamiana will begin offering outpatient department (OPD) services in a few specialties. The hospital’s general preparedness has been questioned too, in light of the court’s recent remarks.

Only a few OPD services in super-specialty areas like cardiology, gastroenterology, and neurology are now available, according to a status report filed by the secretary of health. Emergency and inpatient treatments are still provided at IGMC Shimla.

The absence of a canteen, the scarcity of patient and staff transportation choices, and the hospital’s unfinished road access are among the critical difficulties mentioned. Despite the availability of e-buses and vehicle services, medical staff transportation has not yet been sufficiently organized.

Additionally, since the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is still building, civil work on a safe road to AIMSS Chamiana is still unfinished. Depending on financial availability, the supervising engineer has promised the court that these improvements should be finished by October 31, 2024.

The court also raised concerns about public safety, citing the lack of solid infrastructure and retaining walls, particularly during the current rainy season. Poor cellphone connection, the absence of a police station at the hospital, and insufficient space for medical personnel are further concerns brought up by the case’s intervener, which has discouraged older citizens from enrolling at the institution.

The court’s prior ruling, which emphasized the need for a dependable route for emergency medical services, said that OPD services should not start at AIMSS Chamiana until a secure road connection is guaranteed.

The court’s ruling, which comes after previous requests for progress reports from public works and health authorities, shows that it is still committed to making sure AIMSS Chamiana is ready to safely and effectively meet the healthcare requirements of Shimla and the surrounding areas.