Health Minister reiterates promise to make Ludhiana Civil Hospital ICU operational

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, June 28

Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Friday reiterated his promise to make the intensive care unit (ICU) of Civil Hospital operational.

Last year, the minister had made the same announcement on three occasions in September, October and December, promising to make the ICU operational, but the situation remains the same to date.

He was on a visit to the Civil Hospital and inspected various wards and also held a meeting with the staff.

The intensive care unit, along with ventilators, was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic and was made operational by deputing staff.

However, as the situation normalised, the employees were sent back to their place of postings. Since then the the ICU lies non-operational and ventilators are gathering dust for want of trained staff.

In September, a team of Health Department officials, including Dr Hitinder Kaur, Director, Health Services, visited the hospital for assessment on the setting up of ICU. Experts from the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital also visited the hospital, but even that has failed to deliver any results.

Though the staff raised concerns about the shortage of trained staff, the minister asked them to make it operational with the existing staff and taking help of the nursing students. He said more staff will be recruited in the coming days.

Adding further, the Health Minister added that there are six Urban Community Health Centres in Ludhiana and the work on their upgrade will begin soon.

“Soon surgeries will also be done here at UPHCs. Doctors, both medical specialists and medical officers are being recruited to overcome the staff shortage and a total of 2,000 staff will be recruited by the state government. In the first phase 550 recruitments will be done,” he said.