Patiala News:Punjab government stands with the families of the bus accident victims in every way — MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj
The condition of the injured undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital Sangrur and Rajindra Hospital Patiala was ascertained and all possible assistance was assured.
The number of patients in the OPD of Civil Hospital Sangrur has almost doubled, now 450 to 500 types of medicines are available
Tender for construction of Sangrur Medical College allotted, work to increase capacity of Civil Hospital from 200 to 400 beds underway
It is condemnable to play politics over hospital arrangements in this hour of grief – Bharaj
Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj expressed her deep condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the bus accident that happened yesterday and today enquired about the condition of the injured undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital Sangrur. Earlier, she had also met the injured and their families at Rajindra Hospital Patiala. MLA Bharaj assured all possible assistance to the affected families and said that the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is with them in this difficult time. She said that action is being taken to release the due compensation at the earliest.
Talking to reporters after visiting the Civil Hospital, MLA Bharaj said that three lives have been lost in the accident. The deceased include a woman from village Fatehgarh Chhanna, who was taking her child to Chandigarh for chemotherapy. The child is currently undergoing treatment at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala and is to undergo a leg operation. The deceased also include an elderly man from village Saron, who used to drive buses under the Kilometer Scheme.
He said that the injured include two sisters from village Manwala near Dhuri, who work in the private sector in Chandigarh. One sister has a broken arm and is scheduled to undergo an operation at Civil Hospital Sangrur, while the other sister is admitted at Rajindra Hospital Patiala. At the time of the accident, university-going students and other passengers were also on board the bus. He said that many of the injured have returned to their homes after treatment.
MLA Bharaj said that the political statements being made by BJP leaders and former minister Vijay Inder Singla regarding the hospital arrangements in the hour of grief of the victim families are condemnable. He asked what issues of Sangrur district these leaders have raised during the last five and a half years. He said that the leaders who are raising questions about the painting of the hospital building should also read the guidelines regarding the infrastructure of health services. He appealed to the opposition leaders to raise their questions on appropriate platforms and take care of the condition of the patients and their families in the hospital.
Regarding the expansion of health services in Civil Hospital Sangrur, MLA Bharaj said that the number of patients coming to OPD has almost doubled from before. Earlier, about 150 types of medicines were available in the hospital and now this number has reached 450 to 500. New doctors and seven staff nurses have also been deployed to take care of the patients. He said that the increased number of patients in OPD shows the increasing trust of the people towards government health services.
He said that new machines for X-ray, ECG, ultrasound, MRI and dialysis have been installed in the hospital. The Integrated Public Health Lab (IPHL), built at a cost of Rs. 1.25 crore, has been providing services for the last four to five months. Various blood tests of patients are done free of cost in this lab. During the same period, the four-bed ICU has also started providing services, while about 40 percent of the construction work of the 50-bed Critical Care Block has been completed. The renovation of the hospital building, doctors’ accommodation and nursing school are also in progress. Construction work is also underway at Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital.
MLA Bharaj said that Civil Hospital Sangrur is a secondary hospital, while Rajindra Hospital Patiala, which is attached to the medical college, provides tertiary health services. He said that the tender for the construction of Sangrur Medical College has been allotted to the concerned company and the construction will start soon. To meet the needs of the medical college, the capacity of the Civil Hospital is being increased from 200 to 400 beds. For this purpose, the construction of a building with 200 additional beds is underway. He said that with the construction of the medical college and the completion of the expansion of the hospital, the patients of Sangrur and nearby areas will get the services of specialist doctors and high-level treatment facilities in Sangrur itself.
Regarding Vijay Inder Singla’s ‘Sangrur Di Sath’ program, MLA Bharaj said, “People’s Saths are not found in the drawing rooms of luxurious houses.” He questioned what steps Singla had taken to listen to and resolve the problems of the people when he was in charge of important departments like education and public works. Bharaj said that the people of Punjab have rejected the politics of familyism and the Mann government is prioritizing the needs of the people through facilities like canal water, free electricity and free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh.