Government Medical College (GMC), Patiala faculty held a protest on Thursday. A large number of Dental teachers, Senior Resident Doctors, Junior Resident Doctors, Nurses, paramedical, ministerial staff and Staff 4 employees protested against the Government’s decision of giving GMC’s administrative control into private hands. They leveled charges against the government for pushing towards the privatization of government colleges.
Employees’ association formed a joint panel under the banner of ‘Anti Autonomous Joint Medical Action Group’ to protest against the Government’s decision. As a part of the protest, medical fraternity suspended services of OPD (Out Patient Department) and Operation theatres for two hours. Due to which many patients suffered.
The protest demanded the government revoke its decision and decentralize the administrative power to the various administrative heads of the institutions. They also demanded to make the colleges finance viable and independent through the budget allocation at par with PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research) Chandigarh.
The General Secretary of PSMDTA (Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association), Dr. DS Bhullar said the government is escaping from its job of implementing affordable patient care and medical education to the needy people. The government appears incapable of running medical institutions.
He further said, Giving the control of government colleges in the hands of private players will confirm disastrous for the future generation. He called it a deep conspiracy.