SHIMLA-18 January, 2025-A spokesperson of the State Government said here today that baseless allegations were being made in the media about the death of Devraj Sharma, (57) a carcinoma palate patient undergoing treatment in the Oncology Department of Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla. He said that these allegations were politically motivated and the issue was being unnecessarily raised in a distorted manner.

He said that the loss of any family member was rather painful and the State Government has full sympathies with the family of the deceased.

As per the commitment of the State Government to provide quality and best health facilities to the people, Devraj Sharma was given the best healthcare services and medicines by the hospital administration. He was treated with Chemo radiation and was cured. Unfortunately, when the disease recurred, his treatment was restarted with palliative chemotherapy but the patient did not respond to the treatment. Thereafter, he was advised immunotherapy-based injection Nimotuzumab. This immunotherapy was to be given in three phases. The first cycle of immunotherapy was given on 22^nd October, 2024, but before the next scheduled date, the patient passed away.

The spokesperson said that adequate funds were being made available to Indira Gandhi Medical College under Himcare scheme. During this financial year, Rs 49.70 crore has been released to IGMC under Himcare and Devraj Sharma was covered under the Himcare scheme and a sum of rupees 1.79 lakh was spent on his free treatment in current fiscal. His Himcare card number 02080387666071123 was reactivated on 13^th November, 2024. The pharmacist of the Jan Aushadhi shop had requested the attendants of the patient to confirm about the availability of injection Nimotuzumab (Biomab) in three or four days as the supply order for the same has been issued. But the patient and his family did not come to this medicine shop to get the injection or medicines. As this injection is very expensive, it is to be procured from the vendor only and that too on the advice of the doctor.

He said that the said case had been presented in a misleading manner. The state government is providing quality health services and the best life saving medicines to the people under various schemes along with strengthening the infrastructure in the health sector giving special preference to the use of the latest technology.