New Delhi/Chandigarh: Several Punjab MPs on Friday called for improvements in the state's medical infrastructure, citing a shortage of doctors and a need for more hospitals.
During a Lok Sabha debate on Health Ministry grants, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal criticized the insufficient funding for health services, contrasting it with investments in statues and bullet trains.
She urged the central government to release outstanding funds for health facilities and noted that AIIMS Bathinda, despite a high patient influx, only has 28 emergency beds.
Badal also accused the BJP-led central government and AAP-led state government in Punjab of causing delays in providing adequate patient care.
Congress MP Gurjeet Aujla from Amritsar proposed developing the city into a medical hub for affordable care for patients from Pakistan. He also requested an AIIMS for Amritsar and an upgrade for the century-old Amritsar Medical College.
Congress MP Sher Singh Ghubaya from Ferozepur said that despite a Rs 500 crore grant allocated in 2012 for a PGI, construction has not yet begun.
He also called for a dedicated cancer hospital in his constituency.