Tribune Impact: Hold special medical camp in ‘Us-Paar’ villages, minister tells Gurdaspur DC

Health Minister Balbir Singh has told the Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dalwinderjit Singh to make arrangements so that a special medical camp is held across the river Ravi immediately where nine expecting women are facing problems in getting treatment.

The Tribune had reported their tale of woes in today’s edition.

Meanwhile, hectic activity began here this morning after the news was published.

The DC asked the civil surgeon as to why no medical arrangements were made till yet when Asha workers had told him that there were nine pregnant women who were facing problems in crossing over to Gurdaspur because of the swollen Ravi river.

The Civil Surgeon Dr Jaswinder Singh immediately got in touch with the pregnant women and urged them to get admitted either in the Behrampur Community Health Centre (CHC) or at the Gurdaspur Civil Hospital in Babri on the outskirts of the city.

DC Dalwinderjit Singh said the administration would be making arrangements to provide proper medical facilities at the hospital.

“As an alternative, I have asked the women to shift to their relatives’ houses if they find the option viable," said the DC.

“From tomorrow a medical camp is being organised in ‘Us-Paar’ villages, as the cluster of eight villages is referred to, and specialist doctors will be in attendance. I was not aware of such a development and neither did any health official inform me. Now that everything is out in the open, I assure the residents of ‘Us-Paar villages’ that nothing untoward will happen,” said the DC.

Asha workers said they had brought the problem these women were facing to the health authorities, but to no avail.

The hapless women are worried that they may fall victim to the vagaries of nature when the time comes for their deliveries. Five of the nine women have been categorised in the “high-risk” category and, hence, need special attention. There is only one boat which is in operation these days which brings people to the mainland. However, problems occur when the flow in the Ravi increases sharply and the boat is rendered inoperable due to the strong current.

Punjab