Manav Mander
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, May 24
No positive case was reported in Ludhiana district for the second consecutive day today. The number of Covid-19 patients in the district is 179.
While 135 patients have been discharged from hospital after treatment, there are only 37 active cases at present. Today, 113 persons were asked to home-quarantine.
IMA opposes Clinical Establishment Act
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the Governing Council of the Indian Medical Association, Punjab, was held at IMA House, Ludhiana, to discuss the situation arising out of imposition of the Punjab Clinical Establishment Act under the cover of fight against Covid-19.
After the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA) comes into force, no health facility, be it government or private, will be able to deny emergency life-saving medical treatment and critical care to anyone over inability to pay. The Act has been notified and is expected to be implemented from July 1, 2020.
The local branch presidents and secretaries held the meeting online.
The members of the association condemned this action of the Punjab Government and questioned its timing when the whole private sector was fighting the Covid-19 battle along with government establishments.
“We fail to understand why the Principal Health Secretary was in such hurry when at the moment, priority is to focus on the battle against Covid. The private sector is actively participating and providing services, then what was the requirement of imposition of this Act at this critical juncture?” said the state president, Dr Navjit Singh Dahiya.
“The CEA imposed by government will not bring about any benefits but will unleash the inspector raj and increase the cost of treatment manifold,” said Dr Sunil Katyal, district president.
It was unanimously passed that if this Act was not withdrawn, the IMA Punjab would embark upon the path of a sustained agitation in form of total shutdown of health services.
Nurse’s birthday celebrated at Corona centre
A staff nurse, Rubina, on Sunday celebrated her birthday at the MCH Vardhman (Corona centre). She has not met her 10-month-old baby boy since the lockdown started. She distributed cake among the staff and 61 patients, including RPF personnel. “Duty is above everything and I am serving the people of my nation here. I do miss my family but for me, duty comes first. Once everything is over I can’t wait to meet my son,” she said. Dr Amita Jain, Senior Medical Officer at MCH Vardhman, said: “Today was Rubina’s birthday and we decided to give her a surprise treat.”
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