News Analysis India

Tag: Balbir Singh Sidhu

  • Rahul meets Punjab ministers, MLAs to end factionalism in Congress state unit

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday continued his discussions with senior party members from Punjab on the festering issue of factionalism in the state unit and met ministers and MLAs throughout the day.

    The Punjab ministers who met the former Congress chief included Brahm Mohindra, Vijay Inder Singla, Sham Sunder Arora and Balbir Singh Sidhu.

    Former minister Rana Gurjeet also met Gandhi.

    Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shamsher Singh Dullo discussed with Gandhi ways to strengthen the party in Punjab ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

    Dullo later told reporters that while the country saw lockdowns since the outbreak of Covid last year, “the Punjab government has been in lockdown since the last four years”.

    He alleged that Congress workers were being ignored in the government and “paratroopers” were ruling the roost.

    Dullo has been a strong detractor of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

    The Punjab Congress is likely to be revamped soon and some changes may be brought in the government too to accomodate all sections and groups, sources said.

    Rahul Gandhi is holding deliberations with all partymen and has been meeting almost all prominent leaders from the state.

  • Punjab: SAD holds sit-in near Health Minister Sidhu’s residence, demands his removal from cabinet

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The opposition SAD on Monday staged a sit-in near the residence of Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu in Mohali and sought his dismissal from the cabinet over the “diversion” of coronavirus vaccine to private hospitals.

    Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the Congress-led government of “making money” by selling vaccine to private hospitals.

    On the one hand people are dying of COVID-19 and on the other, the Congress government is busy “making money” by selling vaccine, he charged.

    Badal asked Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to dismiss Sidhu for the alleged “vaccine scam”.

    ALSO READ | Amid rebellion, Congress ought to strengthen Punjab CM’s hand

    The Punjab government had last week asked private hospitals to return all vaccine stock meant for the 18-44 age group, following criticism.

    Badal also targeted the chief minister and said he was not bothered about the plight of people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He said the chief minister was apprised of overcharging by private hospitals from Covid patients and “black marketing” of medicines and injections, but he had done nothing to prevent this.

    Several senior SAD leaders, including Prem Singh Chandumajra, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, N K Sharma and Daljit Singh Cheema, were present at the ‘dharna’ that continued for more than two hours.

    Some leaders of the SAD youth wing also held a protest outside the official residence of Sidhu in Chandigarh.

    Opposition parties have been attacking the Amarinder Singh-led government for allegedly diverting COVID-19 vaccine to private hospitals.

    The Punjab government on Friday had issued an order to take back vaccine doses given to private hospitals.

    The health minister had then said that the instruction of providing one-time limited vaccine doses to private hospitals had been withdrawn.

  • Punjab Health Minister mocks Sukhbir Singh Badal, says SAD leader took ‘vaccine worth Rs 62,000’

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday mocked SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for criticising the state government on vaccine procurement issue, claiming that the former deputy chief minister got a “vaccine worth Rs 62,000” administered after he tested positive for COVID-19.

    Sidhu’s remarks were in response to Badal’s criticism of the Punjab government.

    The minister did not elaborate but appeared to be referring to the recently-introduced Roche’s antibodies cocktail drug priced at Rs 59,750 per dose launched this week in India.

    It is for restricted emergency use to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and paediatric patients (12 years or weighing more than at least 40 kg).

    However, the drug was not available in the country when Badal had tested positive for COVID-19 in March.

    The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said when the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was able to procure Covaxin doses within one week of placing the order then why the Amarinder Singh-led dispensation could not do so.

    He had alleged that the Congress-led government lacked the intention to procure vaccines for people of the state.

    “Do not compare Sukhbir Singh Badal with the state government. He says too much and he had earlier spoken a lot as well and even now. Sukhbir Badal had himself got a vaccine worth Rs 62,000 administered. Has he got Rs 62,000 worth a jab administered to the people of Punjab,” he asked while talking to reporters here.

    Sidhu was replying to a question when asked that Badal had said if the SGPC could procure vaccine doses then why the state government could not do so.

    “He (Sidhu) is completely wrong in saying this,” Sidhu, adding that the state government has also been procuring vaccines every day.

    The health minister, however, welcomed the SGPC for coming forward to assist in the fight against COVID-19.

    The SGPC, which is to start a vaccination drive next week, has also set up some Covid care centres in the state.

    On the issue of black fungus or mucormycosis, Sidhu said that the state government could get only 1,000 injections against the demand for 15,000 doses raised with the Centre, which were insufficient.

    “We are putting pressure on the central government to give us more injections,” he said.

    To a question on vaccines, the minister said that Punjab was facing a shortage of the vaccine.

    “We are not getting that much supply of vaccine doses which match our requirements which is a matter of concern. Every day we go hand to mouth,” said Sidhu.

    Around 47 lakh people have been vaccinated so far, he said.

    To another question on wastage of vaccines, Sidhu said, “There can be-one-and-a-half per cent wastage. They (Centre) themselves say 10 per cent. But we are not going to allow any wastage, which is like expiry date or anything else. If there is a breakage in any injection then it is a separate issue. Otherwise, we do not allow any wastage.”

  • Free COVID-19 treatment for SSBY beneficiaries in private hospitals: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said the state government has decided to provide free treatment to COVID-19 patients covered under the Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (SSBY) — a universal health insurance scheme — in empanelled private hospitals.

    Sidhu said the SSBY beneficiaries can directly visit empanelled private hospitals without any need for referral from the public hospitals for coronavirus treatment.

    This initiative shall bring an immense relief to the vulnerable and deprived section, which will now be able to avail level 2 and level 3 treatment in empanelled private hospitals, the minister said in a statement here.

    He said the treatment available earlier in these empanelled hospitals was payable as per SSBY scheme rates fixed by the central government.

    But the rates were too less to be viable for a hospital to meet expenses of treatment of a COVID-19 patient as it entails additional cost on account of PPE kits, masks, consumables, etc, he added.

    Sidhu said the state government decided to bear the additional expenses and allow free treatment of COVID-19 patients in the empanelled hospitals.

    “The aim is to ensure financial risk protection to around 39.57 lakh poorest, most vulnerable families in the state and is a step forward towards achievement of universal health coverage,” he said.

    He said the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the government hospitals was totally free.

  • Punjab gets four lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses from Centre, sufficient till April 15

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said that the state demanded 15 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses from the Centre but received only 4 lakh doses which are sufficient for vaccination till April 15.

    “We had demanded 15 lakh vaccine doses in meeting with Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan but received only 4 lakh doses on April 11, which is sufficient for vaccination till April 15,” Sidhu said.

    Earlier on April 10, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had said that the state has only five days of COVID-19 vaccines left. He took part in a meeting convened by Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi of Congress-ruled states and Congress ministers from alliance states to review the efforts to fight COVID-19 including the availability of vaccines, access to medicines and ventilators.

    “Punjab is left with only five days of supply (5.7 lakh Covid vaccine doses) at the current levels of vaccinating 85000-90000 persons a day. If the state is able to meet its target of 2 lakh vaccines a day, then its current supplies will last only 3 days,” the Punjab CM had said during the meeting held through video conference.

    The Punjab Health Minister further informed that his teams are working round the clock to control the surge in COVID-19 infections in the state.

    He added that the number of testing has increased from 100 per day since the pandemic started to 50,000 per day.

    Punjab on Tuesday reported 3,003 new COVID-19 cases and 53 deaths, as per the state health officials. 

  • Punjab health minister warns of stopping financial help to healthcare workers unwilling to get vaccinated

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Monday said that healthcare workers and other medical professionals who do not get vaccinated against COVID-19 will bear their cost of treatment and will not be allowed to avail quarantine or isolation leaves.

    “Healthcare workers who do not get vaccinated, despite being given repeated opportunities and in case they get the infection later, they will have to bear the cost of their treatment and they will not be allowed to avail quarantine or isolation leave,” Balbir said.

    The Punjab government has taken serious note of reports that some healthcare professionals choosing not to get vaccinated, amid rising cases of COVID-19 in some states and a low rate of inoculation in Punjab.

    The Punjab Health Minister further pointed out that recent days have seen a hike of COVID-19 cases in Punjab.

    “The matter of concern is that cases are rising for 3-4 days. We have asked healthcare workers to get vaccinated as they are on the frontline. We do not want to lose any other health worker to COVID-19. Anything is possible if cases continue to rise. We have to take precautions from our end,” he added.

    India’s total active COVID-19 caseload comes from the states — Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a statement on Saturday.

    According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab has 3,019 active cases with 1,69,686 recoveries. As many as 5,754 people have lost their battle to COVID-19 in the state so far. 

  • Go for COVID vaccine or forget quarantine leave: Punjab minister to health workers

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Sunday warned healthcare workers who do not get the COVID-19 vaccine shot of not allowing them quarantine leave if they get infected at a later stage.

    He further said they will have to bear the cost of their treatment.

    “The healthcare workers who do not get vaccinated to boost their immunity for COVID-19 despite being given repeated opportunities and in case they get the infection at a later stage, they will have to bear the cost of their treatment and they will not be allowed to avail quarantine/isolation leave,” said Sidhu in an official statement here.

    He further pointed out that recent days have seen an uptick COVID-19 cases in Punjab.

    With 358 infections reported on February 20, now there are about 3,000 active cases in the state as against only 2,000 three weeks ago, he said.

    “There is a dire need that all healthcare workers should get themselves vaccinated to deal with any unprecedented situation,” he said.

    He said Punjab is among the six states of the country where COVID cases are rising “and we should prepare to fight it like a second wave”.

    “These rising cases indicate that COVID-19 is not over yet and Punjab may witness a surge in the number of cases. Therefore, this highlights the need for following coronavirus appropriate behaviour like social distancing, wearing of a mask hand sanitisation and respiratory etiquette,” he said.

    Sidhu said the healthcare workers should shun hesitancy and come forward to get vaccinated at the earliest for the sake of their own safety and that of their near and dear ones.

    Expressing concern over the low rate of vaccination among healthcare and frontline workers, Sidhu said so far 2.06 lakh healthcare workers and 1.82 lakh frontline workers have registered for COVID-19 vaccination.

    He said about 79,000 healthcare (HCW) and 4,000 frontline workers (FLW) have been vaccinated, saying this coverage has not been up to the mark.

    “The vaccine is safe and effective and not even a single case of death or any serious adverse effect has been reported in Punjab regarding vaccine administration so far,” he said.

    Sidhu stressed that no one should be misled by rumours and misinformation.

    He informed that the last date of the availing the first dose of vaccination has been extended from February 19 to 25.