PGIMER faculty, IMA flay Punjab health minister’s behaviour with Dr Raj Bahadur - Hindustan Times
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PGIMER faculty, IMA flay Punjab health minister’s behaviour with Dr Raj Bahadur

By, Chandigarh
Jul 31, 2022 02:32 AM IST

PGIMER Faculty Association says the vice-chancellor is not involved in the day-to-day administration of medical colleges and hospitals

The PGIMER Faculty Association on Saturday strongly condemned Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra for publicly humiliating Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, vice-chancellor (V-C_ Dr Raj Bahadur.

On Friday, Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra had forced Dr Raj Bahadur, the vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences to lie on a dirty mattress at a Faridkot hospital. (HT Photo)
On Friday, Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra had forced Dr Raj Bahadur, the vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences to lie on a dirty mattress at a Faridkot hospital. (HT Photo)

“One has to understand that the V-C is not involved in the day-to-day administration of medical colleges and hospitals. Dr Raj Bahadur, who has served in many important positions, including senior faculty at PGIMER, is a surgeon and administrator par excellence and has introduced many reforms in medical education in Punjab. The health minister has failed to introduce any health sector reform so far and instead of improving the failing health infrastructure in Punjab, which has one of the lowest health sector spending in the country, the minister resorted to cheap publicity and irresponsible behaviour which is strongly condemnable. Such actions send a wrong message to the public and promote violence against doctors,” the faculty said in a statement.

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They demanded a public apology from the minister and requested the Punjab chief minister to restrain his cabinet colleagues from such irresponsible actions.

The Indian Medical Association, Chandigarh, also condemned the health minister. Dr Ramneek Sharma, president, IMA, Chandigarh, said Dr Bahadur was a highly respected orthopaedic surgeon, who was known nationally and internationally. “His career spans over five decades and all can vouch for his commitment to the medical profession and integrity. We call upon the Punjab chief minister to take appropriate action and ask the health minister to apologise to restore our faith in the political system,” IMA Chandigarh said.

Balbir Sidhu demands minister’s removal

Criticising Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra for misbehaving with Dr Raj Bahadur, former Punjab health minister and BJP leader Balbir Singh Sidhu on Saturday urged chief minister Bhagwant Mann to sack Jouramajra for the insulting act that had demoralised the entire medical community of Punjab.

“Dr Raj Bahadur is an internationally acclaimed doctor who has been serving Punjab selflessly for over 50 years. It is doctors like him who helped the state fight the Covid-19 pandemic,” Sidhu said.

”If the minister thought that the responsibility lies at the top, instead of making the V-C lie on the bed, he should have done it himself. We can’t accept that such treatment of doctors or for that matter any public servant. It is important to restore the morale of the medical community that is angry, annoyed and disturbed with the minister’s behaviour,” he said.

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