AAP Legislators Question Health Minister Over Docs' Availability

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators on Tuesday questioned their own ministers in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, raising concerns over issues in their constituencies, with one of them going so far as to say that it feels as though they "are living in Pakistan."

- Navneet Sharma

CHANDIGARH:

The prime concern of at least two ruling party legislators—Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhose from Dharamkot and Kulwant Singh from SAS Nagar—was the availability of health staff and medical facilities in their assembly constituencies and they questioned health minister Dr. Balbir Singh during the question hour on day three of the ongoing budget session.

Dhose, who wanted to know from the minister if the government was considering any proposal to upgrade the hospital in Dharamkot or open a trauma centre, said that Dharamkot was a backward area but was not given any health-related project. He said that the health department deployed doctors on two occasions, but Moga district got only four doctors each time, whereas the smaller district of Malerkotla was allocated 28 doctors. "I want to ask why this discrimination exists. Is Moga not a part of Punjab? It feels as if we are living in Pakistan?" he asked, alleging stepmotherly treatment.

The AAP MLA made these remarks after the health minister stated that no proposal to upgrade the primary health centre (PHC) at Dharamkot to sub-divisional hospital (SDH) was under consideration of the government. Dr. Balbir said that PHC Dharamkot was under community health centre (CHC) Kot Ise Khan, which was eight kilometres from Dharamkot, and two Ayushman Arogya Kendras had also been established in Dharamkot. As the member did not appear satisfied with the reply and questioned him over the doctors' availability, the health minister further explained to him the population criterion for setting up medical facilities, stating, "If the district population is 10 lakh, then SDH can be established under it, and since the population of Moga district is less than 10 lakh, there is no proposal to upgrade the Dharamkot hospital."