AAP accuses central, Punjab govts of playing politics over ventilators

In a statement, Sandhwan alleged that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and medical education minister O P Soni were responsible for the deaths due to non-availability of ventilators and other health services in the state

Chandigarh

Kultar Singh Sandhwan.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and state kisan wing president Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Thursday accused the central and state governments of playing politics on the “faulty ventilators” purchased through PM Cares Fund.

In a statement, Sandhwan alleged that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and medical education minister O P Soni were responsible for the deaths due to non-availability of ventilators and other health services in the state.

The AAP MLA said he had he had taken up the matter regarding the poor quality ventilators with the state government on September 8, 2020, and again in a high-level meeting held on March 5, 2021, at Baba Farid Medical College in which medical education minister OP Soni along with secretaries, MLAs and deputy commissioners were present.

During the meeting when discussion was held on 14 ventilators kept in the medical college, it was informed that these ventilators were not working properly and not being used,” he said. Sandhwan said he had raised the issue of ventilators from time to time, but the state government did not resolve the problem. The government was now saying that it would get them repaired, he added.