***Punjab Government Urged to Prioritise Health Facilities in Beet Area

****Punjab Government Urged to Prioritise Health Facilities in Beet Area

***Hospital Built During Akali-BJP Rule Remains Non-Functional; Local Leaders Blame Successive Governments’ Neglect

Hoshiarpur / Daljeet Ajnoha/May 31

Jathedar Jagdev Singh Mansowal, former committee member and former sarpanch of Beet circle of Shiromani Akali Dal, and former sarpanch of Jhonowal, Rajwinder Singh Raja, jointly raised concern over the dire state of healthcare facilities in the Beet region. They said that thanks to the efforts of former MLA of Garhshanker Thekedar Surinder Singh Bhulewal Rathan, a 30 bed hospital (Community Health Centre) was constructed at Beet village (Adda Jhungian) during the Akali-BJP government’s tenure at a cost of hundreds of millions of rupees.

Subsequently, the Congress party ruled for five years, and now nearly five years of the Aam Aadmi Party government are about to complete. Due to the poor policies of these successive governments, the Beet area remains deprived of basic healthcare even today.

They pointed out that the Beet region comprises nearly 35 villages, and residents still have to travel to hospitals in Garhshankar, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Nawanshahr, Nangal and Una for medical treatment. Whenever locals pass by the hospital building (Community Health Centre, Beet, near Adda Jhungian), they sarcastically call it a “white elephant.”

The leaders accused the state government of spending hundreds of millions on advertising while failing miserably to deliver elementary health services on the ground. “The slogan of ‘change’ was raised, but no change is visible anywhere,” they said.

They appealed to the Punjab government to ensure 24 hour healthcare facilities at the Community Health Centre in Beet (Adda Jhungian). They demanded that doctors, staff, essential machinery and equipment be made available round the clock at the same hospital to free the people from daily hardships.