Opposition parties observe three-day hunger strike over non-functional Doraha Community Health Centre

Members of opposition parties and social workers of Doraha together sat on a three-day hunger strike today in front of the building of Doraha Community Health Centre (CHC) to protest against the allegedly callous attitude of the state government towards addressing the poor medical facilities being faced by Doraha residents. They said the government should begin operations at the CHC immediately, failing which the protesters would intensify their struggle.

Neetu Singh of Punjab Mahila Mandal; Sukhjeet Singh Sukha, secretary, Punjab OBC Morcha Cell; Narinder Singh, former Rajgarh sarpanch; councillor Rajinder Gahir, councillor Navtej Singh Naiba, Congress Doraha president Vaneet Ashat, Gurdeep Singh Kali and Iqbal Chana sat on the three-day hunger strike. Social workers including, Jandeep Kaushal, Barjinder Jandu, Joginder Kirti, Khushal Jaggi and Ginni Kapoor extended complete support to the protesters and condemned the indifferent attitude of the state government in strong words.

“The building, rather than catering to the patients, is now being used to house the government servants on official duty. Patches of walls have begun to fall off. The building no longer bears a new look. As government seems to be in no hurry to resolve the problem, the residents too have resigned to their ill fate,” they lamented.

“The medical facilities in Doraha have taken a back seat. The government is completely silent over the inauguration of the building. Two years have passed since its construction finished. There is just one dispensary to cater to a population of more than 40,000 of the town apart from the surrounding villages. The local Aam Aadmi Clinic only offers OPD services. The government has shown no concern at all for the residents, especially the needy,” the protesters rued.

“It is ironic that on one hand qualified doctors are sitting at home idle while on the other, the government is not recruiting them to serve the public in need at such places. For years we have been pleading for a solution to this problem, but no government, whatsoever, has been considerate enough to come to the aid of the needy who die for want of medical treatment or have to shell out thousands to the private hospitals in the town,” they protested.

“Victims of major to minor mishaps on the national highway have to suffer for want of treatment as there is practically no source of immediate aid in the town. Traveling to Khanna, Payal or Sahnewal for admission is next to impossible for the injured as a number of them are declared brought dead by the time they reach the hospital. Even the private hospitals are reluctant to admit the trauma victims,” they complained .

“Every time we ask the department, they simply say that they have written to the higher authorities and are waiting for the reply. Fed up by the highly inhumane, inconsiderate and cold attitude of the government, we have been forced to sit on a three-day hunger strike which is just a symbolic gesture on our part. We would surely intensify our struggle in the coming days if the CHC is not opened to the public at the earliest,” the protesters added.

SMO Harwinder Singh and naib tehsildar Navjot Singh asked them to submit a memorandum before they plan to sit on strike so that the same could be forwarded to the higher authorities. They also asked the protesters to end the strike as a proposal regarding the same has already been sent to the government, the approval of which is expected to arrive in the coming days.