Maan government remained busy spending crores for their publicity instead of giving priority to ensuring treatment of patients, Parminder Singh Dhindsa
Chandigarh: Chief Spokesperson of Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) and former Finance Minister, S. Parminder Singh Dhindsa said that it is highly condemnable that Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government failed to clear the dues of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, (PGI) Chandigarh, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32 and Government Multi Specialty Hospital, (GMSH) sector 16 Chandigarh and as a result of this both the hospitals have halted the treatment of the people of the state.
In a statement issued here today, S. Parminder Singh Dhindsa said that the first duty of the government is to protect the secure the lives of its citizens, but unfortunately, the Punjab government has forgotten all this and is busy issuing advertisements worth crores of rupees.
S. Dhindsa has demanded the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Government should immediately clear the dues of these hospitals so that the poor and needy patients can get timely treatment.
He said that the Punjab government has not paid Rs. 16 crores of PGI for the last seven months. Apart from this, the Punjab government has not given about Rs. 2.3 crore rupees to GMCH-32 and GMSH-16.
S. Dhindsa said that PGI has also sent several reminders to the Punjab government in this regard, but the dues have not been cleared by the Punjab government. Due to this, the government hospitals of Chandigarh including PGI have stopped treating Punjab patients covered under the Ayushman scheme.
“Thousands of people from Punjab come for treatment in PGI, which is one of the top health institutions in the country. Most of the patients visiting this premier health institute are suffering from serious diseases and are also economically very weak. Due to the discontinuation of treatment by PGI and other hospitals, these patients are left at the receiving end,” said S. Dhindsa.
He said that under the Ayushman scheme, free of cost treatment up to 5 lakhs is provided and it becomes easier for poor people to get treatment through this scheme.
S. Parminder Singh Dhindsa said that the Bhagwant Mann government is claiming to provide better treatment to the people by opening ‘Mohalla clinics in the state and on the other hand, it has left the patients of the state to run from pillar to post to get treatment in PGI and other hospitals.
