# IGMC Shimla to raise robotic surgery fee, charge for X-rays 2026-10-24T20:01:34+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Shimla will increase fees for robotic surgery and start charging patients for X-rays, which were free until now. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti on Friday, 23 October 2026. The hospital management has set a current fee of Rs 30,000 for robotic surgery in general wards and Rs 50,000 in special wards, but says the cost of expensive equipment is not being fully recovered. A committee has been formed to determine new rates. The fee proposal will be sent for government approval before the new charges are applied. X-ray charges will be based on rates fixed in 2022. Shimla mayor Surendra Chauhan attended the meeting. The new rates will directly affect patients' expenses. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The fee increase shifts more of IGMC's equipment cost onto patients, reversing a period when X-rays were free. The hospital admits the current robotic surgery fee of Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 does not cover expenses. A committee will propose new rates, but they take effect only after government approval, leaving the timeline uncertain. Patients now face higher out-of-pocket costs for both advanced surgery and basic diagnostics. ## Coverage - amarujala.com Reports fee decisions without advocacy or judgement This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Himachal Pradesh, IGMC Shimla, Rogi Kalyan Samiti, Surendra Chauhan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/igmc-shimla-to-raise-robotic-surgery-fee-charge-for-x-rays/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/igmc-shimla-to-raise-robotic-surgery-fee-charge-for-x-rays/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/