Health is a priority sector for the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, therefore, the government has decided to recruit specialist doctors every year to improve the healthcare services in government hospitals of state. This announcement was made by Punjab's Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Balbir Singh, during his visit to the district hospital here on Wednesday.
He visited here as part of his statewide tour to assess the facilities in government hospitals. MLA Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar from Sri Muktsar Sahib was also present on this occasion.
The Health Minister stated that the government has recruited 550 house surgeons to address the shortage of doctors, and they will be posted in various districts soon. Additionally, the recruitment of 2000 more paramedical staff will also be done soon.
The government has decided to recruit new doctors every year to fill the vacancies left by retiring doctors or those pursuing higher education, ensuring the availability of quality healthcare services for the people. Dr. Balbir Singh, in response to questions from journalists, mentioned that the Ayurvedic wing under the Health Department will also be strengthened.
As part of this effort, the government will soon appoint a Vice-Chancellor and Registrar for Bhagat Ravidas Ayurvedic University in Hoshiarpur, and new staff will be recruited for the university. This will enhance treatment facilities through traditional Indian medicine systems in the state.
The Health Minister emphasized that the evaluation of available resources is being carried out by the Health Department to ensure their optimal utilization and to provide better healthcare facilities to the people. The government has already established 580 Aam Aadmi clinics to strengthen primary-level health facilities, where more than 31 lakh people have got treatment so far.
The Minister is also visiting various districts to identify deficiencies and available resources at the local level to improve secondary-level health institutions such as district and sub-divisional hospitals and community health centers. During his visit, the Health Minister met the patients undergoing treatment and discussed various programs with health department officials.
He also reviewed the ongoing construction of a 30-bed Child Health Check-up Hospital in the Civil Hospital campus, which is being built at a cost of 8.28 crores. The hospital, with a total covered area of 47,734 square feet, is expected to be completed soon.
Upon his arrival, the Health Minister was welcomed by MLA Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Ruhee Dugg, SSP Harmanbir Singh Gill, and Civil Surgeon Dr. Ranju Singla. Several other officials and dignitaries were also present during his visit.