Jind: The Marxist Communist Party held a protest at the civil hospital raising several issues in the health department. After the protest, a memorandum regarding public issues was submitted to the acting CMO, Paleram Kataria.
Addressing the protest, party leader Comrade Ramesh Chandra stated that the public facilities in the civil hospital are in a terrible state. The hospital toilets lack cleanliness and there is no proper water supply for the public.
He highlighted that public health services in the state are being deliberately dismantled by the government.
Recently, a CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report revealed that the state government purchased medicines from banned companies in Gujarat despite their samples failing quality tests. These medicines were then supplied across the state, endangering public health.
Additionally, these companies were given advance payments, allowing open corruption and looting of public funds.
District secretary Kapoor Singh pointed out that there is a severe shortage of doctors and paramedical staff in government hospitals. Jind district has been functioning without a civil surgeon for several months. The Jind Civil Hospital alone has 30 vacant doctor positions and a critical shortage of specialist doctors. Eye surgeries have also been halted for the past two years. Many ward attendants, sanitation workers, and support staff positions remain unfilled, he said.
While the state government claims to provide free treatment for pregnant women, there is no doctor available to operate ultrasound machines in any civil hospital in Jind. As a result, patients are forced to visit private hospitals, where OPD fees are unaffordable for common people. Private doctors often prescribe unnecessary tests, further increasing the financial burden on the public. Most hospital toilets are in filthy condition and monkeys and stray dogs roam freely in the Jind Civil Hospital premises, creating an unsafe environment for patients, he said.
He further stated that while the government promotes the Ayushman Card scheme as free treatment, in reality, it is a tool to facilitate looting by private hospitals. If the same funds were invested in government healthcare services, free medical facilities could be provided to all citizens.
