Punjab: Baba Farid University VC resigns after being humiliated by Health minister

On Saturday morning, Dr. Raj Bahadur, the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University resigned from his post because of Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra's 'rude behaviour'.

The step comes after Dr. Bahadur was 'forced' by the minister to lie on a dirty hospital bed during an inspection. The minister visited the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot to take stock of its infrastructure and arrangements after receiving several complaints regarding lack of cleanliness.

The Punjab minister, who was accompanied by press and cameraperson, scolded Dr Bahadur for not maintaining clean mattresses for patients and further ordered him to lie on the dirty mattress.

The video was shared by ANI, and Jouramajra can be heard asking the Vice Chancellor, "It is all in your hands, but what is this?"

The project director and member secretary of the Regional Spinal Injuries Centre, Mohali, is Dr. Bahadur, a renowned spinal surgeon in the nation. The National Medical Commission, India's top medical regulatory authority, is comprised of the 71-year-old as well.

State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring tweeted on Friday, "Punjab Health Minister's humiliating behaviour with Dr Raj Bahadur is highly condemnable. The Minister must apologise."

After Dr Bahadur resigned from his post, Warring wrote, "The theatrics of AAP's Health Minister heavily costed Punjab. Principal government Medical College Amritsar Dr. Rajiv Devgan and now VC Baba Farid Univeristy Dr. Raj Bahadur has resigned. These are the very people who saved Punjab during COVID-19, even when Delhi model had failed. Disheartening!"

Congress leader Pargat Singh also said such mob behaviour would only demoralise Punjab's medical staff. He added Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should immediately dismiss his Health minister for publicly humiliating one of our medical luminaries.