Chamba/ Shimla, Apr 16,
In a heart-wrenching incident that exposes the glaring gaps in the state’s healthcare system, a young man from a village in Chamba was forced to pledge his elderly mother’s gold earrings to arrange money for her urgent surgery.
The mother had been rushed to the Government Medical College in Chamba after complaining of severe abdominal pain. Following medical tests, doctors diagnosed gallstones and scheduled an immediate surgery. Confident that the expenses would be covered under the state-run HIMCARE health insurance scheme, the son presented his government-issued health card.
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However, to his shock, hospital staff informed him that the card was not valid for treatment at the facility. Instead, he was handed a list of surgical supplies and instructed to purchase them from outside on his own.
With no money and no immediate support, the son made a desperate decision—he pledged his mother’s gold earrings, a treasured possession from her wedding, at a local shop to raise enough money for the required items. Thanks to this sacrifice, the surgery was successfully conducted, but the emotional and financial burden on the family remains deep.
This incident underscores the harsh realities of healthcare access in Himachal Pradesh. While schemes like HIMCARE promise up to ₹5 lakh in cashless treatment for families paying regular premiums, implementation gaps continue to leave beneficiaries helpless during emergencies.
Political parties often make tall claims about providing free healthcare and insurance coverage, but when these promises fail on the ground, it is the common people who are left to suffer—often at the cost of their dignity and cherished belongings.
The state government has launched an audit into the alleged misuse and pilferage of funds under various health schemes. However, citizens who have paid their premiums in good faith should not be penalized due to administrative lapses. Government agencies must strengthen verification systems to prevent fraudulent claims and ensure that genuine beneficiaries receive timely treatment.
In a related development, a letter was recently addressed to the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh by the family of a patient who died at IGMC, Shimla, allegedly due to the non-availability of a life-saving injection.
While several insurance agencies operate in the healthcare sector, experts suggest that if the state government is unable to effectively manage its own schemes, it should consider delegating the responsibility to private players under strict regulatory oversight. At a time when crores are being collected from citizens, including BPL families, the delivery of promised benefits must become a top priority.
