Punjab Assembly Gets 13 Doctors As MLAs, Vow To Strengthen Healthcare System

Punjab's health system could go under the knife with 13 doctors making it to the state assembly this election, including 10 from the Aam Aadmi Party, which is set to form the next government.

"I feel the way AAP worked in Delhi in various sectors, particularly health, developed confidence among doctors, who were excited and wanted this (Delhi) system in Punjab too."

"We felt if we have the proper infrastructure in Punjab, we can deliver better. I was working as a government employee and witnessed the shortcomings there, which we will rectify now," 46-year-old Baljit Kaur, an eye surgeon, said. She commented on most of the winning AAP candidates from the medical field.

Baljit Kaur, the AAP candidate from Malout, had defeated SAD's Harpreet Singh by 40,261 votes.

'Sign Of Positive Change'

The entrance of qualified medicos into the political field has got a go-ahead from different quarters who have termed it a "sign of positive change".

Among the 13 doctors elected to the assembly, two are female practitioners -- Moga's Amandeep Kaur Arora and Malout's Baljit Kaur -and belong to the AAP.

One doctor each has been elected as MLA from the Congress, SAD and BSP respectively, NDTV reported.

According to the AAP MLAs, the health infrastructure of Punjab is set to get a significant boost given AAP's track record in the national capital, where the party is credited with starting many public health initiatives like mohalla clinics.

Eye surgeon Charanjit Singh, who defeated the outgoing chief minister and three-time MLA Charanjit Singh Channi from Chamkaur Sahib seat, are among the winning AAP MLAs from the medical field.

It was an act of sweet revenge for Singh, who runs a hospital in Morinda, as Channi defeated him in the 2017 polls by over 12,000 votes.

Transforming Health Sector Among Top Priorities

The doctors from the AAP said the people of Punjab have voted for change and entrusted them with a big responsibility. They added that transforming the health and education sectors of the northern state will be among their priorities.

Sixty-one-year old Charanjit Singh, MS (Eye), PGIMER Chandigarh defeated Charanjit Channi by 7,942 votes.

The first-time legislator said that Punjab's health system would need to be set right and the party will need to scale up the health infrastructure.

Echoing similar views, AAP's Baljeet Kaur said Punjab's health sector will need surgery.

Kaur, who received the award for the best performing eye surgeon in her district, said, "There are four specialists against the requirement of 10 in my own area's civil hospital," she said.

During her poll campaigning, she stated that many of her patients supported her, while some follow-up cases asked for on-the-spot consultation.

"I also tried to correct the 'foresight' of people during campaigning, ensuring them only AAP can bring about a change," she added.

Not affected by the fact that he was facing a CM as an opponent, Dr Charanjit Singh said he was confident of his win right from the start.

"There was no development, including Channi's constituency. The traditional parties bluffed people in the name of development. But people have now understood that what these parties claimed as development is not the case."

"You need good schools, employment, hospitals -- these were our primary issues. This time, we ensured people what development means," Singh said.

AAP's Vijay Singla (52), a dentist, defeated famous Punjabi singer and Congress candidate from Mansa, Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu Moosewala, by a considerable margin of 63,323 votes.

"It is a positive sign that educated people are coming out and working for the welfare of the society. They are joining politics, and this is what is called 'Inquilab'," he said.

On the priorities of his constituency, Singla said, "I have been living here for the past 27 years. I know the people and their problems."

Congress leader Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal (52), re-elected from Chabbewal in Hoshiarpur district, said, "Doctors are very hardworking and their joining political stream is a good sign. Doctors are also very close to society.

"India is such a nation where a lot needs to be done in the health sector and when well-qualified people, including doctors, join politics, they can assist the government in bringing good policies," he pointed out.

Chabbewal, whose wife is a senior government doctor in Hoshiarpur, said if there are some medicos in the opposition and the ruling camp, they can have the quality debate, bring good laws, and prepare a framework for concrete services.

Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora (39) is another winning candidate. The AAP leader defeated Congress' Malvika Sood from Moga by 20,915 votes. Interestingly, Arora completed her MBBS from Ukraine in 2008. Dr Arora said people in Punjab wanted a change and only AAP could provide it.

During the COVID-19 pandemic peak, she received a letter of appreciation from the deputy commissioner for rendering yeoman services.

Among other doctors who made it to the assembly are AAP leaders Ajay Gupta and Jasbir Singh Sandhu. AAP's Balbir Singh, an eye surgeon, defeated senior Congress leader Brahm Mohindra's son Mohit Mohindra from Patiala Rural seat.

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