CM Sukhu orders zero-wait MRI, CT scans at HP govt hospitals
Synopsis
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired a health department review in Shimla on 7 August 2026, ordering zero-wait MRI, CT scan, and X-ray services at government hospitals and directing the establishment of a dedicated research department at IGMC Shimla.
Key Takeaways
CM Sukhu chaired a health department meeting in Shimla on 7 August 2026 .
He ordered MRI, CT scan, and X-ray services to be available with zero waiting period at government health institutions.
A dedicated research department will be set up at IGMC Shimla in the first phase, then rolled out to other state medical colleges.
Directives were issued to strengthen diagnostic services across all government health facilities for faster, more accurate treatment.
Attendees included MLAs Kuldeep Singh Rathour and Harish Janartha , and Health Secretary Ashish Singhmar .
The government's stated top priority is providing world-class healthcare to residents within Himachal Pradesh , reducing outward patient migration.
A single directive from Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu could end the long queues that push hill-state patients to seek scans in distant private hospitals: on Friday, 7 August 2026, chairing a health department review in Shimla, Sukhu ordered that MRI, CT scan, and X-ray services at government health institutions be made available immediately — with zero waiting period.
IGMC Shimla to get HP's first dedicated research department
The meeting's most structural announcement was a directive to promote medical research across the state's medical colleges. In the first phase, a dedicated research department will be established at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla — the oldest and premier government medical institution in Himachal Pradesh — before the model is extended to other state medical colleges. The intent, as Sukhu framed it, is to link research output directly to better patient outcomes, not to build research for its own sake.
Strengthening diagnostics across health institutions
Beyond the zero-wait imaging order, the CM directed a broad strengthening of diagnostic services across government health facilities, with an emphasis on timely and accurate testing to enable faster treatment. The Himachal Pradesh government has consistently cited outward patient migration — residents travelling to Chandigarh, Delhi, or private facilities for advanced diagnostics — as a core problem the state health system must solve.
Attending the review were MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathour, MLA Harish Janartha, Health Secretary Ashish Singhmar, and other senior officials.
World-class care within HP's borders: the government's stated priority
Sukhu reiterated that strengthening the health sector and making world-class services available to residents rajya ke bheetar hi (within the state itself) is the government's top priority. The timeline and budget for the IGMC research department, and measurable targets for reducing diagnostic wait times, remain to be formally announced — but the direction of travel is now on record.
The next test is execution: whether zero-wait imaging becomes a staffed, funded reality across Himachal's government hospitals, or remains a directive on paper.
Point of View
Staffed reality will determine if this meeting is a policy milestone or a press-release moment.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Sukhu announce for government hospitals in Himachal Pradesh?
CM Sukhu directed that MRI, CT scan, and X-ray services at government health institutions be made available immediately with zero waiting period, and ordered stronger diagnostic services across all government facilities.
What is the new research department at IGMC Shimla?
A dedicated medical research department will be established at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla as the first phase of a plan to promote research across all state medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh.
Who attended the Himachal Pradesh health department meeting on 7 August 2026?
The meeting was attended by MLAs Kuldeep Singh Rathour and Harish Janartha, Health Secretary Ashish Singhmar, and other senior officials.
Why is Himachal Pradesh focusing on diagnostic services in government hospitals?
Residents of Himachal Pradesh often travel outside the state to cities like Chandigarh or Delhi for advanced diagnostics. The government aims to stop this outward migration by making MRI, CT scan, and X-ray services immediately available within state-run hospitals.
What is IGMC Shimla?
Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Shimla is the oldest and premier government medical institution in Himachal Pradesh, and the first site chosen for the new dedicated research department.
