HEALTH MINISTER OFFERS TO GET MLAS VACCINATED ON PRIORITY

CHANDIGARH: Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday offered Covid-19 vaccine for all the MLAS, asking them to reach civil hospital, Mohali, and he will make the arrangements. “I can make all the arrangements by tomorrow (Friday),” announced the minister in the Vidhan Sabha during the question-answer session.

The demand for the vaccine came from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, saying legislators meet a lot of people every day, so they be given the vaccine on priority.

Earlier, the MLAS of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and SAD indulged in a slugfest with Sidhu for “failing” to handle the coronavirus pandemic in a proper manner. Leislator Baldev Singh Kalyan asked the minister about the facilities provided to the corona-patients and those in home quarantine in Faridkot district. The minister said 4,143 people tested positive in the district and ₹7 crore was spent on the treatment.

Asking a supplementary question, leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema asked the minister the fate of an inquiry instituted into after a death due to medical negligence in Faridkot medical college and hospital last year, to which Sidhu said the matter pertains to OP Soni who holds the charge of medical education and research department.

Former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the health minister himself didn’t have the confidence in getting treated for coronavirus from a government facility as he opted for a private hospital in Mohali. “I got treatment at my own expenses; why rake up an unnecessary issue,” Sidhu countered Majithia, adding, “Where did you and your family members got the treatment for Covid-19 last year?”