Amritsar, December 29
Even as the Covid-19 virus started spreading again during the initial months of the year, the district reported a total of 3,400 coronavirus cases and at least 220 deaths. However, the figures were minuscule in comparison to the number of cases and deaths reported during the first two waves of the infection.
A health worker collects a sample from a woman for Covid test at the Civil Hospital in Amritsar. File photo
Milestones
Two liquid oxygen plants were set up at the Government Medical College and Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital.The year also witnessed the setting up of a 12-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for children at Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital.With a change of government in the state, the District Health Department also added eight more health facilities under the Aam Aadmi Clinic programme of the new government.
The year also saw an upgrade of infrastructure, especially oxygen plants at government hospitals in the district, as a total of four pressure swing adsorption (PSA) units were set up at Government Medical College, Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital, sub-divisional hospital, Baba Bakala, and sub-divisional hospital, Ajnala. Apart from these, two liquid oxygen plants were also set up at the Government Medical College and Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital.
In another milestone, the year also witnessed the setting up of a 12-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for children at Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital. With a change of government in the state, the District Health Department also added eight more health facilities under the Aam Aadmi Clinic programme of the new government.
However, the district failed to witness any improvement in services at dispensaries and primary health centres (PHCs) being run in the rural areas as no efforts were made to upgrade the infrastructure, services and manpower at these institutions.
Even the Government Dental College (GDC) here which is facing an acute shortage of faculty failed to get any attention from the government. The GDC at present is managing the medical education of students and treatment facilities for patients with merely 20 per cent of its sanctioned staff strength.
A major mishap at Government Medical College caused by an electricity transformer blast caused a massive fire on May 15 this year. However, human cooperation and zeal to help each other in adversity helped the medical staff, students, patients and visitors vacate the building quickly as a result of which no casualty was reported. Learning a lesson from the mishap, the PSPCL later changed all old transformers.
Later on July 30, the GMC exhibited another example of solidarity when the three senior most officials – principal, vice-principal and medical superintendent – resigned from their position in protest against the treatment meted out to BFUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr Raj Bahadur.
