Govt committed to providing better, affordable health facilities: Mohindra

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 20

The state government is committed to providing better and affordable health facilities to the people and for this purpose, corporate houses have taken initiatives to help the government.

This was stated by Health Minister Brahm Mohindra, who was in the city to attend a mega health check-up camp at International Public School, Sandhu Nagar today.

Mohindra said corporate houses like Ralson, Cremica, Vardhman and CMC donated state-of-the-art equipment and manpower today to improve the health infrastructure in Punjab. This is the first of its kind step towards improving health facilities. While Ralson contributed an equipment, furniture and books worth Rs15 lakh for the Civil Hospital library, Cremica contributed a fully-automated laundry plant worth Rs13 lakh. Vardhman contributed an ambulance, an ultrasound machine. He said the social responsibility taken by these firms was appreciated, adding that more companies should rope in to provide better health facilities in the state.

On being asked about the absence of doctors during working hours, he said the culture needs to change in the Health Department, adding that it will take time. The Health Minister also visited the Civil Hospital, where he interacted with patients. He also instructed the Civil Surgeon to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in the hospital.

He also distributed 17 hearing aids kits to the needy kids.

Attending a meeting with the board of directors of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Mohindra said epilepsy was a social stigma in the society and 1%of the population was suffering from this disease. “People still think that a patient suffering from this disease should get married or not; whether a lady having this problem should deliver a baby or not. The Health Department has given a green signal to the new project of the government of India and the Indian Council of Medical Research for the urban population regarding epilepsy. This new scheme will give patients complete investigation/ EEC/ MRE/ CT Scan for free. Not only this, the medicine for the entire treatment will also be given for free to patients under this scheme.”