Mann to raise BBMB hospital issues in LS

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, October 16

Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann visited Talwara on Monday evening to address election-related meetings in favour of party candidate from Mukerian.

Later in the night, he visited the local BBMB hospital with supporters. Mann said he was stunned to see the huge building of the hospital. He sought a detailed information about hospital’s status from Dr Raj Kumar, a doctor on emergency duty. On the occasion, locals told Mann that the state had 60 per cent share in BBMB, but despite that there was an acute shortage of doctors at the hospital because the quota of doctors from state was not completely provided. There is not even a single specialist doctor in the hospital. Posts of specialists, including those of surgeons, ortho and paediatrician, have been lying vacant for many years. Locals have been demanding conversion of hospital to medical college. People told Mann that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had also promised to raise a medical college in Talwara during the Assembly elections, but the promise had not been fulfilled.

Talking to mediapersons, Mann said: “It is shocking to see a large hospital in such a bad state. Such hospitals should have facilities like medical college and PGI. I will raise the matter in the upcoming session of Lok Sabha. Also, I will take up the issue with Union Energy Minister Piyush Goyal for resolving the serious problems related to the hospital.

He said he would also meet Punjab Health Secretary on the issue. Mann said people in Kandi area did not have basic facilities such as railway, clean drinking water, higher education and health facilities. “Therefore, I will raise my voice in Parliament on all these issues. I will not stop just by asking questions. If the need be, I will resort to dharna and other means of protest, too,” said Mann.