A day after Punjab well being minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra pressured Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) vice-chancellor Dr Raj Bahadur to lie on a unclean affected person mattress throughout an inspection, a number of associations of docs, together with the state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), expressed anguish over the incident and urged chief minister Bhagwant Mann to intervene.

Also learn: Felt humiliated, have talked to Punjab CM: Dr Raj Bahadur after quitting as BFUHS VC

Dr Paramjit Singh Mann, the IMA Punjab president, mentioned that greater than 10,000 members of the group condemned the conduct of the state well being minister with Dr Raj Bahadur. “It was not only humiliating but inhuman as well. We will send a representation to chief minister Bhagwant Mann seeking the removal of the health minister. The CM must ask his minister to apologise publicly. If no action is taken, the IMA plans a state-level action. Even Dr Raj Bahadur has resigned following the incident, this will be very demoralising for doctors,” he said.

Who will take charge after humiliation?

Dr SS Gill, a former VC of BFUHS, said that the act of the health minister was humiliating and he strongly condemned it. “Dr Raj Bahadur is a medical professional with the highest academic standing in Punjab. Now, who will they bring to replace him? Will anyone with such a structure join, particularly after this incident? It is a constitutional post appointed by the governor and the minister has disrespected it. It’s not the V-C’s responsibility to check dirty mattresses in the hospital, it’s the duty of the principal and the medical superintendent. The minister should have asked them and not humiliated medical professionals in front of people. There is no superspecialist doctor in the government hospitals in Punjab. There is only one neurosurgeon and also shortage of cardiologists. This is what they should have been concerned about. Only clean mattresses will not save people,” he added.

Condemning the behaviour of the minister, the Indian Orthopedic Association strongly condemns the behaviour of the health minister. It also requests CM Bhagwant Mann to get resignation from the minister for going beyond his limits.

Black day for medical practitioners

Indian Orthopedic Association president Ramesh K Sen said: “Our medical profession is under a lot of pressure from political administrators. Some of them when given the authority by the public for betterment of the society, have been unable to digest these powers bestowed on them, tend to vomit it out at every nook and corner. The derogatory behavior of a Punjab health minister with a man at the highest pedestal of academics makes us to feel that we are being ruled by the Taliban. The power seems to have gone to some individuals who never deserved it. This is surely a black day for medical services in the state of Punjab. While ignoring their own responsibility to share the problems of administration and state resources, the blame is being put on a person who had taken the Baba Farid Medical University to its highest ever level.”Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has additionally strongly condemned the unceremonious therapy met out to the BFUHS VC by the well being minister.

PCMSA state president Dr Akhil Sarin mentioned, “The PCMSA strongly condemns the unceremonious treatment met out to the VC by the health minister. Whatever the reason, the way the VC was maltreated, is deplorable. Such blatant disrespect for a senior health functionary is appalling, to say the least. The face-off has actually led to the state losing its only spine surgeon.”

Dr Harpal Singh Sethi, professor and unit head of orthopedic surgical procedure at Dayanand Medical College (DMC), Ludhiana, mentioned the minister misbehaved with the VC. “Can he make a commissioner of MC stroll by means of a water logged highway? Can he make an SSP handle a chowk with site visitors jam?” he requested.