Mohindra, Kamboj meet GSMCH trustees

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 22

Punjab Medical Education Minister Brahm Mohindra along with Congress legislator Hardyal Kamboj held a meeting with the trustees of Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital (GSMCH) pertaining to the problems being faced by the staff and students of the college. The trustees have assured in writing that they will be releasing the salary of the staff for the past six months by March 31.

Another meeting to discuss their future plan to run the institute will be held on March 24. Ever since Mohindra has taken the charge as Medical Education Minister, this is the first major issue he had been handling, considering that the future of about 900 students is on stake.

The teaching and technical staff of the college had been protesting against the management and boycotted work for the past over two months, following the non-disbursal of their salaries for the past six months. Even after repeated requests and warnings, the management failed to release their salaries, as a result of which the staff went on strike.

There are no classes and medical services have also been terminated following which the student and patients are suffering, especially in the wake of fact that it is the examination time. The students rue that lakhs of rupees spent by their parents on admissions were going down the drain and the government should take responsibility for this.

Annoyed over the situation, even the students had joined the agitation, demanding adequate staff strength, hostel facilities and proper utilisation of their fee. To get their demands fulfilled, the students and their parents have been holding agitations. They have even met senior authorities seeking their intervention to save their future.

The Punjab Government had even constituted a four-member committee of professors and heads, which had presented a negative report against the management. In their report, they have mentioned that apart from high liabilities, one thing was very clear that the management was incompetent to run the college in future even if they somehow manage to resolve the present crisis. The government should hire some qualified private agency to run the institute or should take it under its own wings.