Punjab Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education & Research Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on Saturday ordered all the civil surgeons to stop deployment of ambulances with Ministers and VIPs except Chief Minister of Punjab. All these ambulances should be deployed in flood affected areas, he said.
Chairing a meeting of district administration and representatives of Indian Medical Association and religious and social organisations at the committee room of the Mini Secretariat here, Dr. Balbir Singh said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government is trying its best to provide the best health facilities in flood affected areas.
Medical camps are being organised by the government with the support of non-government organisations to save people from diseases and medicines are also being provided free of cost to the patients. He said that instructions have also been issued to all the civil surgeons that essential medicines should be delivered to the people stranded in deluge through boats, and ambulances should be deployed near flood affected areas so that if need arises, there should not be any difficulty in transporting patients to hospitals.
Appealing the representatives of the Indian Medical Association and other organisations, Dr Balbir Singh said that they should deploy medical staff in the flood-affected areas with ambulances along with medicines and also support in providing other essential services if required.
President of Indian Medical Association Rupnagar Dr. Bhanu Pratap Parmar apprised the Health minister that four ambulances along with medical staff will be sent immediately under the supervision of the civil surgeon. The Minister also urged the representatives of religious and social organisations that apart from medical services, maximum help should also be given to the district administration in providing ration and other essential items so that everyone in need can be helped.
While talking to the media, on the question of shortage of doctors, Dr Balbir Singh said that the department has already recruited 550 house surgeons, out of which 10 house surgeons have been appointed for emergency services in Rupnagar district. He said that after getting the approval from the Punjab government, the process of recruiting two thousand more medical and paramedical staff in the health and family welfare department will be started soon.
Talking about the stock of medicines, Dr. Balbir Singh said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has issued clear instructions that there should be no shortage of any kind of relief work, including medicines, in the flood-affected areas. He is personally visiting different parts of the state and holding meetings with district authorities and the organisations and preparing a strategy to deal with any exigency.
He also patted the Rupnagar district administration for dealing with the natural calamity in such a meticulous manner.