Country’s reputation took a hit due to Covid mismanagement: Jagir Kaur

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur took a jibe at the Punjab government and the Centre for their alleged failure to tackle the second Covid wave, which has resulted in a record number of deaths

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur took a jibe at the Punjab government and the Centre for their alleged failure to tackle the second Covid wave, which has resulted in a record number of deaths.

Country’s reputation took a hit due to Covid mismanagement: Jagir Kaur

Due to the mismanagement, the reputation of the nation has taken a hit and “it has been left to beg for vaccine and oxygen concentrators from abroad”.

Inaugurating the 25-bed Covid care facility at Gurdwara Manji Sahib at Alamgir, Kaur said it will provide free oxygen and medicines to patients and will be manned by medical and paramedical staff from Guru Ram Das Medical College and Hospital, Amritsar.

The SGPC chief said a fully equipped ambulance will also be stationed at the Covid care centre which will be put at the disposal of patients if they were to be shifted to a super specialty hospital.

Kaur said the SGPC has also made arrangements of 100-beds each at Sri Guru Ramdas Medical Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, and Sri Guru Ramdas Charitable Hospital.

“We will soon set up similar Covid care wards of 25-beds each at Takht Damdama Sahib, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bholath and other cities. All these services would be free of cost, and the patients would be taken care by the doctors and staff of Sri Guru Ramdas University of Health Sciences,” she said.

“The state government was aware about the second wave. The government could have made adequate arrangements, but nothing was done. Besides the paucity of oxygen in many hospitals, ventilators are not functioning,” said Kaur.

She said the SGPC had ordered oxygen concentrators from Russia, but the consignment was stuck for customs clearance in Delhi for five days. “Such life-saving consignments should be cleared on priority,” she said.