3rd Health Minister in less than a year

Vishav Bharti

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Chandigarh, January 7

Though the AAP government has termed health as one of its biggest priorities, frequent change of health and medical education ministers amid controversies is hampering various flagship programmes of the government.

Since the formation of the AAP government 10 months ago, Dr Balbir Singh is the third Health Minister to take the charge of the department.

Vijay Singla was first to lose the health portfolio in May last year. He was fired and arrested for demanding bribe from a health official. Following this, the portfolio remained with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for almost one and a half month before Chetan Singh Jouramajra was appointed Health Minister in first week of July.

Soon after taking the oath, Jouramajra courted a controversy when he allegedly tried to humiliate eminent spine surgeon Dr Raj Bahadur, who was serving as Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot. The incident put the government in an embarrassing situation, when Dr Raj Bahadur resigned from the post.

Since then there were murmurs in the corridors of power that Jouramajra won’t be able to understand the functioning of highly demanding and technical departments like health and medical education.

The frequent change of health and medical education ministers also hampered the flagship programmes of the AAP government, especially in the Medical Education Department, which deals with tertiary care. The government had announced to open 16 new medical colleges, but the work could not start even on the first one.

Crumbling health and medical education infrastructure remain the biggest challenge before the new minister Dr Balbir Singh.

‘Will curb illicit drug trade’

Patiala: After joining the Cabinet, Balbir Singh said his foremost priority would be to curb illicit drug trade. “It will be my topmost priority,” he said. TNS