SGPC to provide free medical aid in slums, border villages

DECIDES TO LAUNCH MEDICAL VANS EQUIPPED WITH DOCTORS, NURSES, MEDICINES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS IN THESE AREAS

AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday decided to provide free medical aid to people in slum and border areas in Punjab and surrounding states through mobile medical vans .

The apex gurdwara body, already running several health institutions, took the decision during a high-level meeting held at Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevin at Kurukshetra in Haryana. Gobind Singh Longowal, president, presided over the meeting.

In the first phase, the SGPC will launch the drive in Punjab. It has divided the state into three zones. Three Sikh temporal seats —Akal Takht Sahib (Amritsar), Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib) and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo), have been made centres of three zones, said Longowal.

He said the medical vans will be equipped with qualified doctors, staff nurses, medicines and other requirements. “These vans will reach out to the needy people residing in the slums, backward and neglected areas situated along the Indo-pak border,” he added.

Extending another kind of help to the marginalised section of the Sikh community, the SGPC resolved to bear expenses of weddings and last rite ceremonies of members of weaker sections of the society, said Roop Singh, chief secretary of the SGPC. The SGPC, which manages historic gurdwaras in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pardesh and Chandigarh, also decided to strengthen its dharam parchar (propagation of religion) during the meeting.

“We are going to hire services of nearly 200 more Sikh preachers to preach Sikhism among the masses,” said Balwinder Singh Jaurasingha, secretary (dharam parchar).

“Besides, the SGPC will also organise camps to train granthis (Sikh priests). They will be given a scholarship of ₹5,100 and medals. Free lancer Sikh preachers, who will clear a test will also be given financial aid for preaching,” he added.

An amount of ₹8 lakh was approved for the payment of the fees of 84 Sikh students belonging to the Sikligar community, an underprivileged section of he Sikhs, said the SGPC officials.