Shimla boils over KNH shift plan, Women, mothers roar—“This is an assault on motherhood”
Shimla, April 13: Anger spilled onto the roads as the All India Janwadi Mahila Organisation (AIDWA) led a massive protest inside the premises of Kamla Nehru Hospital, turning the century-old mother-and-child institution into the epicentre of a political and emotional storm.
The outrage comes after the HimbuMail expose triggered alarm over the government’s reported move to shift services to the already bursting Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital campus—allegedly to make way for an MLA hostel.
Hundreds of women, young girls, patients, attendants and even local shopkeepers gathered, raising slogans against the Sukhu government and the Health Department, demanding an immediate rollback.
“This is not just a hospital, this is a home for mothers,” echoed through the corridors as emotions ran high.
“We won’t let this hospital die”
Addressing the charged crowd, AIDWA leader Falma Chauhan asserted: “This movement will not stop. Until the OPD runs here, we will not allow this hospital to be shifted. This women’s organisation will save this hospital,” she declared, warning of an indefinite agitation if the decision is not scrapped.
She added that shifting KNH would be a “historic blunder” and a “direct insult to motherhood,” urging people across Himachal to join the movement. “This is the only dedicated state-level maternal and child hospital. You cannot dismantle it like this,” she said.
A 100-year legacy under threat
Protesters said the hospital is not just a health facility but an emotional lifeline built over more than a century. “From our grandmothers to today’s newborns, generations are connected to this place,” said a middle-aged woman, holding her infant. “You cannot relocate memories, trust and care into a parking lot.”
They pointed out that successive governments strengthened KNH, investing over ₹20 crore in Phase-I, while Phase-II remains pending. “Instead of completing expansion, the government wants to uproot it. Why?” questioned a faculty member.
“IGMC is already choking”
Doctors, nurses and staff joined the chorus, warning that shifting services to IGMC would be disastrous. “IGMC is already overcrowded. There is no space, no warmth, no system to handle newborn care at that scale,” said a senior staffer.
A young mother waiting outside the ward said, “In winters, IGMC is freezing. Here, it’s warmer and safer. Newborns cannot survive harsh cold conditions. This move is dangerous.”
Experts and locals stressed that KNH’s southern, sunlit location makes it ideal for maternal and neonatal care, unlike the colder northern slopes of IGMC.
Livelihoods at stake
The protest also saw participation from chemists, tea vendors and small shopkeepers who have been part of the KNH ecosystem for decades. “Our livelihoods depend on this hospital. If it shifts, we are finished,” said a medical store owner.
Political storm brews
Opposition parties—from CPM to BJP—have slammed the move, calling it “thoughtless and anti-people.” Protesters alleged the plan prioritises infrastructure for legislators over critical healthcare.
Clear demand: Rollback, not relocation
The protestors demand: scrap the shifting plan and fast-track Phase-II expansion at the existing site.
“Don’t demolish a legacy to build luxury,” Palma Chauhan said. “Strengthen what already serves lakhs of mothers and children. Anything else will be a betrayal.”
As slogans echoed through the historic premises, one thing was clear—this is no routine protest. For Shimla’s women, this is a fight to save a symbol of care, warmth and life itself.
#SaveKNH #MotherhoodMatters #HealthcareNotPolitics #ShimlaProtests #HimachalVoices