HIM CARE in limbo: Nine months on, no cure for healthcare woes in Himachal

Despite assurances from the Himachal Pradesh government to relaunch the HIM CARE scheme with reforms to address its loopholes, nearly nine months have passed without any concrete action. The delay in reviving this flagship cashless health scheme has left thousands of people in distress, especially those dependent on private healthcare for urgent and quality treatment.

Introduced in 2019 by the BJP-led state government, HIM CARE was a revolutionary move to offer cashless medical coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh annually. It allowed patients to receive treatment not only in government hospitals but also in empanelled private hospitals across the state and beyond. However, the scheme was discontinued in private hospitals after concerns about misuse and inefficiencies. Since then, it remains operational only in government hospitals—facilities already buckling under pressure.

Overcrowding in government hospitals, coupled with staff shortages and outdated infrastructure, has made access to timely healthcare a struggle. Patients face months-long waits for basic diagnostics like MRIs, CT scans and even simple surgeries. Those with serious ailments are often referred to tertiary hospitals like PGI-Chandigarh or AIIMSBilaspur, adding further strain to already overwhelmed institutions.

The abrupt discontinuation of the scheme in private hospitals has proved catastrophic, particularly for low-income families. Many have had to forgo treatment altogether due to unaffordable private healthcare costs. Several critical patients reportedly lost their lives because they couldn’’t access timely care.

Locals and former beneficiaries of the scheme voiced their concerns, telling The Tribune that instead of scrapping private hospital coverage, the government should have rectified the issues within the system. They also criticised the government for not upgrading public hospitals to handle the increased patient load after the scheme’s partial shutdown.

Repeated attempts to get a comment from the Principal Secretary of Health were unsuccessful. However, a senior health official confirmed that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had constituted a high-level committee to review the scheme. The committee’s report is still awaited, and the official added that a revised health scheme will be announced once the recommendations are received.

Until then, thousands continue to suffer in silence, hoping for the promised revival of a program once hailed as a healthcare lifeline in Himachal Pradesh.