Batala gets state’s first e-clinic, thanks to Ashwani Sehkri

For the last few weeks Ashwani Sekhri, chairman of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation, had been working overtime to make sure the first ever e-clinic in Punjab was set up in his home borough of Batala. His persistence finally paid off on Monday. He had a particular interest in the vote-spinning project as he has remained a legislator from this assembly seat three times in the past. Now, the fourth time beckons him, hence this insistence. He faced some hurdles but nevertheless succeeded. “It does not matter how many times one gets knocked down. All that matters is that you get up one more time than you were knocked down,” he quipped. The inauguration was done virtually by the CM Capt Amarinder Singh while his audience sat in rapt attention at the Civil Hospital. In his extempore, Sekhri rather succinctly referred to good health as a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. “When one is free from physical disabilities, pain and mental disorders, the gates of the soul open. But if one still suffers from any illness, he should come to our e-clinic,” he said amid peals of laughter. The consensus among the audience was that it is good health that is the real wealth and not rupees, dollars, pounds or even pieces of gold and silver. “The Batala Civil Hospital had been selected as a pilot project. If the clinic is successful in attracting patients the concept will be extended to all the other district hospitals of Punjab,” he added. The first ever patient turned out to be Harvinder Singh, a diabetic who wanted a cure for all his ills. “Sugar is the root cause of every illness. Once this is done away with you can lead a healthy life. I requested my doctor, sitting 250 km away in Patiala, to get rid of this disease. He then went on to prescribe some medicines. Sekhri later addressed a presser at his residence. “I believe the best gift you can give to your family and the world is a healthy you. When things change inside you, things change around you. Actually, good health is not just being disease free. Good health is when each and every cell of your body bounces with joy,” he quipped. He himself is a “walk-addict” as he prefers to put it. A good old doctor, wizened by age, was sitting near Sekhri. It was he who stole the thunder when he defined health and pathology. “Objection, evasion, jealousy and greed are all signs of good health. Everything else is pathology,” he said. Indeed, as they say, eat to live, not live to eat. If this dictum is followed in letter and spirit, the e-clinic may well be bereft of patients!

Who spoiled Bajwa’s party ?

Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa’s three-day tour of Batala assembly segment turned out to be a blow hot, blow cold event. On Day one, he drew impressive crowds. Even district administration mandarins made it a point to attend his press conference. On the second day, while Bajwa was paying obeisance at the Gurdwara Kandh sahib to mark the occasion of the marriage anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, it started raining cats and dogs. Proceedings scheduled for the rest of the day were called off. Word went around that Bajwa had been asked by agitating farmers to put on hold all his programmes. By this time, there was chaos and confusion all around. Was it the farmers who played spoilsport or was it the weather? On the third day, the MP was again in the field with all guns blazing. He drove to Dhariwal and laid the foundation stone of an oxygen plant, which is being established with funds provided from his MPLAD funds scheme. The next schedule of the MP is still awaited. If he comes out with it, then it was the weather which was the villain of the piece. And if not, then surely the farmers have asked him to call it quits till the elections are formally announced.

A boy’s first hero is his dad

Parents who have sent their wards to foreign shores often complain that they have to ensure they keep up a continuous supply of money to them. Even after passing out from foreign universities, students keep on requesting money for their upkeep. However, former chairman of the Gurdaspur Improvement Trust Neeraj Salhotra has an interesting tale to recount. Last week, when he reached home, he saw some employees of the Royal Enfield agency standing outside. They had brought a brand new Bullet motorcycle with them. They told Neeraj to park the two-wheeler in his house as it belonged to him. Perplexed, Neeraj told them he had not ordered any such bike. Then came the knock-out punch albeit a lovable one. He was told that the Rs 2.67 lakh machine was paid for his son, Gandharv Salhotra, who studies in Canada. The man was overjoyed and so was his family. Indeed, a boy’s first hero is his dad!

— Compiled by Ravi Dhaliwal