Healthcare at IGMC, Shimla is impacted by unpaid Himcare bills

Due to unpaid bills under the Himcare and Ayushman health programs, patients at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Hospital in Shimla are experiencing difficulties receiving care.

Not all medications are available to Himcare and Ayushman cardholders at the IGMC’s Jan Aushadhi shop, where they are provided at no cost. Furthermore, several departments have discontinued providing free procedures to cardholders that require the use of pricey devices and equipment like pacemakers and stents.

The outstanding payments under the two programs at the IGMC have now exceeded Rs 65 crore, according to sources. This sum has increased to almost Rs 300 crore across the state.

Due to unpaid invoices, the majority of pharmaceutical wholesalers have ceased sending medications to the hospital’s Jan Aushadhi shop, where cardholders get free medications. Consequently, customers are forced to pay full price for medications that are not carried by the Jan Aushadhi shop on the open market.

We haven’t received our money in over a year. For as long as we could, we continued to give medications, but approximately a month ago, we had to cease. As of right now, the firms won’t offer medications without payment, according to Shimla Chemists and Druggists Association secretary Anuj Jain.

“The hospital administration has guaranteed us that the payments will be disbursed by April 15th,” he said. Despite many efforts, Dr. Rahul Rao, the medical superintendent of IGMC, could not be reached.

The administration has been under fire from the BJP for failing to release the money that is still owed under the initiatives. The previous BJP administration’s Health Minister, Rajeev Saizal, said that the unpaid invoices were evidence that the government intended to discontinue the program.

The vendors have ceased supplying equipment and medications. Consequently, a number of departments have discontinued providing free procedures,” said Saizal.

An official from the state health authority acknowledged the payment delay and said they will be writing to the government.