'Felt Humiliated': VC Forced To Lie On Dirty Hospital Mattress By Punjab Health Minister Resigns

Jouramajra is seen rebuking the VC over the  "damaged and dirty condition" of the mattresses during an inspection of the hospital’s skin department at Faridkot's Guru Gobind Singh Medical College.

VC Bahadur expressed his anguish and said he felt humiliated by the incident.

New Delhi: Punjab Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra has come under fire after forcing the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Raj Bahadur, to lie on a dirty mattress at a hospital after which the VC resigned and requested the Punjab Chief Minister to relieve him from services, PTI reported.

Videos of the incident circulated on social media, in which Jouramajra is seen rebuking the VC over the  "damaged and dirty condition" of the mattresses during an inspection of the hospital’s skin department at Faridkot's Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, which comes under the BFUHS.

#WATCH | Faridkot: Punjab Health Min Chetan Singh Jouramajra visited Guru Gobind Singh Medical hospital & took stock of infrastructure & arrangements. He also inspected mattresses being used for patients & made Vice-Chancellor lie down on the same upon seeing their poor condition pic.twitter.com/KVaxJ0oS2D

— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2022

The minister is then seen to be allegedly forcing Dr Bahadur to lie down on the same mattress.

Bahadur tried to explain that he was not responsible for the facilities to which the AAP leader said, "everything was in his hands”. Later, Bahadur reportedly spoke to CM Bhagwant Mann and said such atmosphere was not good for his work and requested him to relieve him of his duties. 

Speaking to PTI, the 71-year-old Bahadur said, “I have expressed my anguish to the Chief Minister and said I felt humiliated.” Meanwhile, the CM has taken a strong view of the incident and spoken to Jouramajra. Mann has also asked Bahadur to meet him next week, PTI reported.

"When you work so hard and put in your best efforts, one does feel low when you have to face this kind of behaviour," Bahadur told PTI after Friday incident.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister has drwan flak from various quarters, including the Indian Medical Association.

Punjab Civil Medical Service Association, a doctors' body in Punjab, in a statement, strongly condemned the "unceremonious treatment" meted out to Dr Bahadur.

PCMSA said the way the VC was treated was “deplorable”, its reason notwithstanding.

The body expressed its “deep resentment" over the incident and said, "public shaming of a senior doctor on systemic issues is strongly condemnable.” Opposition parties hit out at the AAP dispensation over the incident.

(With PTI inputs)