Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital (DDU) formerly known as Ripon Hospital is a Zonal hospital in

Shimla Shimla, also known as Simla ( the official name until 1972), is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city ...

city. It is located in the city center above Old Bus Stand and below Lower Bazaar. Its one entrance is from Ram Bazaar another is from Ganj and downside entrance is near Old Bus Stand. The hospital provides healthcare facilities to the city residents. Latest health and medical facilities can be availed in the hospital.

Etymology

The hospital is named after the renowned Indian politician

Deendayal Upadhyaya Deendayal Upadhyaya (25 September 1916 – 11 February 1968), known by the epithet Panditji, was an Indian politician, a proponent of integral humanism ideology and leader of the political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), the forerunner of Bh ...

. Its former name Ripon Hospital was named after Indian Viceroy

Lord Ripon George Frederick Samuel Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon, (24 October 1827 – 9 July 1909), styled Viscount Goderich from 1833 to 1859 and known as the Earl of Ripon in 1859 and as the Earl de Grey and Ripon from 1859 to 1871, was a British p ...

History

Foundation stone of Ripon Hospital Simla

The hospital was proposed by

, former viceroy of India and its construction began in 1882. It was opened on 14 May 1885 by Lord Duffrin. The hospital building was designed by Henry Irvin and it is one of the historical landmarks in Shimla.

New Hospital Complex

The new Deen Dayal Hospital Complex get completed on 26 April 2017. It was inaugurated by the then Chief minister

Virbhadra Singh Virbhadra Singh (; 23 June 19348 July 2021) was an Indian politician who served 6 terms and 21 years as the 4th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. A leader of the Indian National Congress party, he was elected 9 times as a Member of Legislati ...

. The new complex is constructed with an outlay of 35 Crores and can accommodate 135 beds. The new seven storied complex have central heating and offer all amenities including chemist shops, parking, blood banks besides MRI, CT Scan facilities etc.

Controversy

The hospital has selected to make a dedicated

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

hospital, but the residents opposed it and a plea was admitted in

Himachal Pradesh High Court The Himachal Pradesh High Court is the High Court of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh was born as a result of integration of twenty six Province and four Punjab hill States into a Centrally Administered Area ...

against the state government. But the plea was rejected on 19 May 2020. A woman from upper part of district

got admitted in the hospital due to COVID-19 on 23 September 2020. After few days of her admission in the hospital, she committed suicide in the hospital by hanging herself. The relatives alleged the hospital staff for her suicide as the hospital staff did not provide her treat her instead they gave her some medicines each day and come to see her just twice or thrice a day, that.s how she got into depression and committed suicide, but the hospital staff deny all the allegations. The incident attracted a lot of protests in the city and because of this incident the hospital come into controversy another time in the same year.

References

{{Reflist Memorials to Deendayal Upadhyay Hospitals established in 1882 Hospitals in Shimla 1885 establishments in India British-era buildings in Himachal Pradesh