Director, Health, visits Civil Surgeon’s office to hold probe

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, September 1

The Director, Health Services, Dr HS Bali, visited the Civil Surgeon’s office here today to investigate the allegations of corruption against the Civil Surgeon, Dr Jai Singh. Dr Bali recorded the statements of Dr Jai Singh, the radiologist of the Gill Diagnostic Centre, Dr Amita Jain, and a clerk at the Civil Surgeon’s office, Raghu.

Dr Bali also met other employees at the Civil Surgeon’s office to know about the case. Talking to the media, he said he would file his report within two days. He said strict action would be taken if the allegations were found to be true.

He said Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jiani had taken a serious notice of the complaint in this regard and instructed him to investigate the matter. Earlier, Dr Jain had accused clerk Raghu of demanding Rs 10,000 on behalf of the Civil Surgeon.

In her statement before the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, she had stated after an inspection of the diagnostic centre, the clerk had asked her to meet the Civil Surgeon personally. She said she had gone to the Civil Surgeon’s office thrice and on each occasion, the Civil Surgeon had asked him to meet the clerk.

Later, the complainant had reported the matter to the local association of radiologists which had taken up the matter with the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Dr Sidhu. Only two days ago, Dr Sidhu, too, had filed a complaint against Dr Jai Singh on the basis of the complaint filed by the radiologist.

Cong stages protest

Meanwhile, Congress workers today staged a protest outside the office of the Civil Surgeon here today, demanding action against him for allegedly asking for a bribe from a local radiologist. Leading the protest, Punjab Congress secretary Dinesh Bassi said, “The Health Department is trying to shield a corrupt official. Earlier, too, a similar case had come up against him when he was the Civil Surgeon in Fatehgarh Sahib.”Bassi alleged in that case the inquiry initiated by the department had not been concluded even after a year and a half. “Now when the Health Minister, Surjit Kumar Jiani, has constituted a committee to probe the allegations, we demand the inquiry is completed at the earliest.” The Congress workers demanded till the time the inquiry is completed, Dr Jai Singh should be placed under suspension. Bassi stated if the department tried to delay the inquiry report, the Congress workers would not hesitate to organise protests against it.