Health Minister Balbir Singh should resign, says Shwait Malik

Former MP and former state BJP president Shwait Malik on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh over the death of patients in Jalandhar due to the lack of oxygen cylinders. Addressing a press conference, Malik said the incident calls for accountability for the lack of medical facilities across government hospitals.

“We demand the resignation of Health Minister Balbir Singh because he has completely failed the health system of Punjab. Three innocent lives could not be saved due to lack of oxygen at the Jalandhar Civil Hospital and it has been learnt that in the absence of an oxygen plant operator, an unauthorised person was working there, no engineer was also present,” he said.

He mentioned the incident a few days ago, where surgeons conducted an operation with candles due to lack of electricity during a surgery at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Stating that the AAP government is focused on false branding, he said, “There is no medicine, shortage of doctors, no life-saving system at the Gurdaspur Government Hospital and many government hospitals of Punjab. All these are clear examples of the negligence of the AAP government. Recently, there was an outbreak of diarrhoea in Patiala, but the Health Minister did nothing. The AAP government has consistently failed to deal with these crises, putting the lives of people of Punjab at risk.”

Malik said the Punjab Government’s recent announcement of providing health insurance of up to Rs 10 lakh for all is nothing but a false promise. “The Punjab Government is playing with the health of people by not contributing its share to the free health insurance scheme (Ayushman Health Insurance of Rs 5 lakh) and not paying the outstanding amount of hundreds of crores of private hospitals of Punjab. The Mohalla clinics could not provide even basic facilities, they have to take funds from the BJP-led Central Government under the National Health Mission. This dependence clearly shows their incompetence,” he said.