JAMMU: Arrogant as ever, former Health Minister Choudhary Lal Singh has yet again indulged in the affairs of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) by showing nosy attitude by asking doctors on duty to take an imprudent decision to keep a swine flu patient in Emergency Wing of the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital.
However, doctors rubbished his advice and shifted the swine flu infected patient to isolation ward in Chopra Nursing Home.
The aforesaid swine flu patient, a 50-year old property dealer from Jammu namely Bharat Bhushan, who tested positive for H1N1 virus, is second in line after a six-month-old female baby was tested positive for H1N1 virus at SMGS Hospital here on 14th January.
The wayward attitude of former Health Minister Lal Singh in the matter seems to be quite peculiar because the demand has no rationale as keeping the swine flu patient in emergency ward, is life threat to other patients also.
A senior most officer in Health department on the condition of anonymity said that Ex-Minister Lal Singh tried to pressurise the GMC doctors to keep swine flu patient in emergency but doctors refused to accept his directions as this can adversely affect the well-being of other patients at emergency ward.
Interacting with STATE TIMES Medical Superintendent GMC&H, Dr Ravinder Rattan Paul also agreed that the swine flu patients cannot be kept in emergency ward. It is dangerous for other patients. He, however, denied Lal Singh’s intervention.
Reliable sources informed that in a move to maintain the ascendancy in the affairs of GMC&H, the former health minister Lal Singh last week visited GMC and staged a drama by issuing warnings and directions to hospital staff. “Few ineligible doctors, whom Lal Singh had given various posts in GMC, supported him. The former health minister, however left the hospital before senior doctors and the faculty members tried to confront the minister over his interference in hospital functioning,” stated a senior doctor.
RTI activist and Social Worker Som Nath Dabgotra said, “Ex-minister is still not able to digest that he is no more a minister at present. He has spoiled the hospital working by creating confusion among the doctors. The premier health institute GMC Jammu is in shambles and, ultimately the people of Jammu are suffering.”