Janjivan Bureau / Chandigarh : Extending the Delhi health model to Punjab, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr Vijay Singla on Monday announced that the Aam Aadmi Party Government would set up 16,000 mohalla clinics across the state. Besides, every resident in the state would get a ‘health card’, he added.
Singla made the announcements while addressing a gathering at an annual function held at the Government Dental College (GDC), Patiala. The Minister was accompanied by Ajit Pal Singh Kohli and Dr Bablir Singh MLAs from Patiala Urban and Rural, respectively.
Singla, who himself is a dental surgeon, said apart from improving rural healthcare, tertiary healthcare institutions like government medical colleges also needed revamping.
He urged the doctors of government medical colleges to shun private practice. “We all get Non-Practice Allowance (NPA). Instead of indulging in private practice, a doctor should spend an extra hour at the government hospital itself for poor patients,” Singla said, adding that he didn’t have a magic wand to overhaul the system; therefore, he needed support from everyone.
Notably, The Tribune on Sunday highlighted that senior doctors of the Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital were indulging in private practices.
Attributing the private practice by doctors to the rampant corruption in the health care system, Dr Singla alleged that “in the previous governments, doctors had to give money to Civil Surgeon, Director and ministers as monthly. Now, they don’t have to give not a single penny to anyone.”
Meanwhile, Singla, who is an alumnus of Government Dental College, Patiala, said the government would soon be recruiting faculty at the two Government Dental Colleges in Patiala and Amritsar. “The quality of teaching is being compromised as there are only 10-11 faculty members against 59 posts. We will soon be hiring faculty in Government Dental Colleges and Medical Officers (Dental) in Civil Hospitals.”
