Minister visits Nawanshahr hospital, stresses 24x7 oxygen, power supply

Dr Balbir Singh, Health and Family Welfare Minister, conducted a surprise visit to the District Hospital, Nawanshahr, on Thursday.

During his visit, he interacted with patients, enquiring about their well-being and assessing the hospital's healthcare facilities. He also held discussions with Civil Surgeon Dr Gurinderjit Singh and Senior Medical Officer Dr Satwinderpal Singh regarding the arrangements in place to provide better healthcare services to patients.

Balbir emphasised that under no circumstances should any patient face difficulties in obtaining treatment. He instructed the hospital management to ensure the availability of all medicines within the hospital itself.

"We need to maintain a buffer stock of at least one month’s supply of essential medicines, and there should be no shortage of critical medications," he stated. He further added, "Patients should not have to buy medicines or other items from outside the hospital."

The Health Minister also highlighted the importance of uninterrupted oxygen supply and power backup in emergency services and all critical care units. He stressed the need for round-the-clock oxygen availability, a fully functional UPS system, and operational generators to ensure there are no disruptions in life-saving medical services.

Addressing another question from the media, Balbir stated that the construction of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Government Medical College is expected to begin this year. He said this college will provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities for residents of Nawanshahr and surrounding areas.

In response to a question about the shortage of staff in government hospitals, Balbir assured the media that the recruitment process is underway to enhance the efficiency and performance of public healthcare facilities. He said the recruitment of 1,000 doctors is expected to be completed soon.