Amritsar MP Aujla highlights TB hospital’s plight in Parliament session
Lok Sabha member Gurjeet Singh Aujla brought attention to the deplorable state of the TB hospital in the city during a Lok Sabha session today. He asked whether the government had plans to upgrade the hospital, which was established in 1937, before India gained independence.
The hospital, designed to accommodate 100 patients, is the largest TB hospital in Northern India, primarily serving underprivileged individuals. Aujla emphasised on the hospital’s dismal condition and inadequate faculty, while highlighting the need for immediate government intervention. In response, Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, assured that she would provide detailed information in writing after conducting thorough research and pledged to take necessary steps to strengthen the hospital.
The tuberculosis facility currently provides care to approximately 5,000 active patients. However, indoor wards, which cater to patients requiring special care, are in a suboptimal state. Although the OPD block is slightly better maintained, it still shows evident signs of neglect, including missing or broken sanitary fittings, shattered windows and doors, and corridors cluttered with junk.
By raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Aujla has brought to light the deplorable conditions, which are not only an eyesore, but also pose health risks to already vulnerable patients. While the most severely dilapidated building blocks have been permanently closed due to safety concerns, the remaining structures used for housing indoor patients are far from ideal.
