Operations paralysed at Gian Sagar Medical College: Inspection team

PATIALA: The inspection carried out by the state government’s five-member doctors’ team on Wednesday found that working of the hospital and teaching facilities had collapsed at Gian Sagar Medical College in Banur.

A team, headed by Dr Rajinder Garg, from Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot, was sent there to take first-hand information on the college’s working after the indefinite protest by the faculty and paramedical staff over their pending salaries led to the suspension of classes of 600 medical and dental students on February 1. Their report will be submitted to the state government by Monday.

A member of the inspection team told HT that the team was quite dissatisfied with the “mismanagement” of affairs of the college, which is headed by family members of ₹45,000-crore ponzi scam accused Nirmal Singh Bhangoo.

Previously, its daily OPD had an average footfall of nearly 1,200 patients. On Wednesday, the team found just 30-35 patients and that too being checked in personal rooms of some faculty members. The team also found that the emergency block was laying shut down with no surgery being conducted for quite some time now.

“Under these circumstances, I fail to understand how medical students will get practical training,” said the team member.

The team also found that generators were supplying power to the college as its main supply was snapped due to pending bills of ₹2.5 crore. Also, regular stipend of the postgraduate students was pending for some time now, it is learnt.

The mess contractor too was not paid by the management despite the food charges collected in advance from the students at the time of submission of fee. As per the accounts detail obtained by the team, it was found that the college collects more than ₹40 crore per annum from its fee, but substantial part of it is used to pay loan and other debts with little left for the faculty and other medical staff for their salaries, which is close to ₹20-24 crore per annum.

STUDENTS SUFFER AS TEACHERS, STAFF ON PROTEST; HOSPITAL FACILITIES AFFECTED