Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) General Secretary Parmbans Singh Romana Saturday said all the thirteen Primary Health Centres in Faridkot district have been shut down and the move, he said, has affected rural healthcare services. Addressing a press conference at Sukhanwala village of Faridkot, Romana said, “The entire health staff of this village, including doctors, pharmacist and the class four employees, have been shifted to the urban dispensary of Bazigar Basti in Faridkot. Where will the people of this village go to avail health services?” he asked. Romana added, “Punjab has a three-tier health services infrastructure in the rural areas. This includes sub-centres manned by an auxiliary nursing midwife (ANM), dispensaries manned by a doctor/pharmacist and a primary health centre (PHC) manned by requisite staff to cater to a population of ten thousand. If all the dispensaries are closed people will stop getting medical aid in their villages. Moreover, there are many people who cannot travel to avail medical attention.” Asserting that 540 rural dispensaries have been closed in the state, Romana said, “The infrastructure will now be laid to waste.” He said that instead of taking an “anti-people stand”, the AAP government should fill staff in rural dispensaries and ensure availability of medicines. He added that it is shocking that instead of upgrading the health infrastructure, the government is destroying it. “The rebranding of PHCs as Aam Aadmi Clinics is a cheap publicity gimmick to befool Punjabis. It will not succeed as Punjabis are aware of the nefarious designs of the AAP,” Romana said. Romana also condemned the AAP government for tampering with the names of five satellite centres established in the memory of the Panj Piaras of Guru Gobind Singh ji by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Khalsa in 1999. He said that the entire Sikh community had been grievously hurt by the insult meted out to the Panj Piaras by the AAP Government. “No Sikh can do this,” Romana said, adding, “It seems this decision has been taken by AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal.” The SAD leader also condemned the AAP government’s move to spend Rs 30 crore on publicity of the Rs 10 crore spent on Aam Aadmi Clinics in other states, including South India. He said that while former Health Secretary Ajoy Sharma had refused to clear the file, the new secretary should not succumb to any pressure on the issue. Romana also urged Punjabis to “gherao” AAP legislators and ask them why they took away rural dispensaries from the villages. “AAP has been propagating and holding political leaders to account. Now it must get ready to be held accountable for its actions,” he added.
