JASWANT SINGH GANDAM / RAMAN NEHRA
India Post News Service
PHAGWARA/SULTANPUR LODHI: Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu has called upon all people to rise above their parochial considerations for collectively celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith.
While inaugurating the new ICU , trauma center and emergency ward at civil hospital in Sultanpur Lodhi, he said that the “Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has made concerted efforts in this regard and had even constituted a special group of ministers for better coordination with SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee) but the SAD (Shiromani Akali Dal), which controls the strings of the SGPC, created hurdles in joint celebration”.
“SAD was trying to scuttle the move for joint celebration to gain political mileage as the people of Punjab have wiped them out from the political scenario in the state,” the minister said.
He also stated that the Punjab is the first state to provide cash less treatment to 46 lakh families under the Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna and four lakh new families will be added soon under it.
Terming this scheme as a game changer for rural areas, he asked the people to ensure their health cards to be prepared so that they can obtain free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh in government and private hospitals.
Talking about the preparation by the health department to provide emergency and other medical services during 550th birth anniversary celebrations, the minister said that the department is fully geared up for the mega event . He stated that three temporary hospitals have been set up in all three tent cities with capacity of 15 to 60 beds.
He also launched a special directory, which has all mobile and other emergency phone numbers of 44 hospitals, designated to tackle emergency cases during Gurpurab celebrations.
MP from Khadoor Sahib constituency Jasbir Singh Gill announced a grant from his MP quota to purchase a sweeping machine for Sultanpur Lodhi. Speaking on the occasion, MLA N.S. Cheema said that it was a matter of great satisfaction that the health department took only 40 days to establish the ICU, trauma center and emergency ward after Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s announcement in the first ever cabinet meeting at the holy city.
Prominent amongst present on the occasion were SDM Dr Charumita, Civil Surgeon Dr Jasmeet Kaur, Pressident of Municipal council Ashok Mogla and SMO Dr Anil Manchanda.
