Primary health services crumbling in Punjab: Cong

The Punjab Congress on Wednesday said primary health services in the state had collapsed, while accusing the SAD-BJP government of "mismanagement of available resources" in the health sector.

The Punjab Congress on Wednesday said primary health services in the state had collapsed, while accusing the SAD-BJP government of "mismanagement of available resources" in the health sector.

HT Image

Stating that the poor living in villages and small towns had no access to health facilities, the opposition party also demanded a high-level probe by the union government into alleged misutilisation of central funds given to the health department.

In a joint statement here, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) vice-presidents Charanjit Singh Channi, Om Parkash Soni, Tarlochan Singh Soond, Gurpeet Singh Kangar and party general secretary Fateh Jung Sing Bajwa said a majority of the hospitals and primary health centres were on the verge of closure.

They said the SAD-BJP government's decision to promote only 100 district and subdivisiona; hospitals had played havoc with health services at the grassroots level. Medical and paramedical staff from most of the subdivisional hospitals and primary health centers (PHCs) had been transferred to designated hospitals, bringing emergency services to a halt, they claimed.

The poor people had no choice but to approach private hospitals for even minor ailments, the Congress leaders added.