Punjab Health Minister extends Rs 50K aid to flood-hit 8-year-old Ajnala patient

Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh today met 8-year-old Abhijot Singh, a resident of Talwandi Rai Dadu, Ajnala, who is currently undergoing treatment at the pediatric ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. Abhijot was rescued in a critical condition during the floods and has been battling Nephrotic Syndrome for the past three years. His diagnosis was done by Dr Rakesh Sharma, a senior surgeon from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, who was part of a team of doctors from AIIMS that visited flood-affected villages of Ajnala.

Dr Balbir Singh interacted with Abhijot and his family and handed over a cheque of Rs 50,000 for his treatment, assuring that the entire cost will be borne by the Punjab government. The Health Minister stated that PGI doctors are also being consulted for his care.

Abhijot's condition worsened due to lack of medicine during the floods, but the Health Department team promptly admitted him to Medical College Amritsar via boat ambulance.

Earlier, Dr Balbir Singh had flagged off 15 ambulances from Amritsar Medical College to aid flood-affected families of Ajnala, with 23 vans already deployed in the affected areas. "My visit today is primarily to see the medical relief work going on in the flood-affected areas and in view of the emergency situation, these ambulances have been sent to provide health services for proper health care of the people," he said.

The Minister added that medical assistance is available by dialing helpline number 104.

Health Department teams are going door-to-door providing information on dengue and chikungunya, and collecting blood samples of suspected cases.