8-member medical board formed to examine Dallewal

The state government has formed an eight-member board of medical experts “to examine and advise medical management” for farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death at Dabbi Gujran village on the Khanauri border.

The board will be headed by Medical Superintendent, Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Other members are Dr Ashish Bhagat, Professor, Medicine, Dr Vikas Goyal, Professor, Surgery, Dr Lalit Garg, Associate Professor, Anaesthesia, Dr Saurabh Sharma, cardiologist, Dr Harish Kumar, neurosurgeon, Dr Harbhupinder Singh, urologist, all at Government Medical College, Patiala, and Dr Dilmohan, an orthropaedician at Mata Kaushalya Hospital in Patiala.

Dallewal (70) has been on a fast-unto-death since November 26, urging the Centre to address the farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee on MSP for crops, debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and justice for the Lakhimpur Kheri violence victims.

Earlier in the day, DIG Mandeep Singh Sidhu, SSP Nanak Singh and Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav met the farmer leader. Accompanied by health experts, they offered quality medical treatment to him. Dallewal was told that his vitals were not up to the mark and needed immediate attention. He was told that he could be shifted to the GMC or Mata Kaushalya Hospital along with any volunteer of his choice. Sources said the farmer leader, however, was adamant that he would continue his hunger strike till their demands were met and refused any treatment. Dallewal was told that doctors and two advance life support ambulances remain present at the protest site round the clock. A makeshift hospital was also set up near the site, said a government functionary.

Eight Punjab ministers had met Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast at Khanauri, on Wednesday and he had told them, “why can’t Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stage a dharna” in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in support of farmers’ demands.