Ludhiana Civil Hospital Surgeon suspended after bribe video surfaces
Ludhiana: In a recent case of bribery, a surgeon from Civil Hospital in Ludhiana has been suspended with immediate effect after a video of him accepting bribes from a patient's family. The video came to light during an event attended by Health Minister Balbir Singh.
The suspension order was issued by Health Minister Balbir Singh verbally during an event called “Saanjhi Raah” (Common Path), held at Pal Auditorium, Punjab Agricultural University. The event was organised by the Association of Psychiatrists (AOP) in collaboration with the Punjab government.
According to TOI sources, the video was shared with Singh during the event itself. It showed the surgeon accepting a bribe, prompting him to take action, and therefore, he ordered his suspension on the spot.
"A departmental probe has been ordered to investigate the incident. Strict action will be taken against those involved in corrupt practices. The Punjab government maintains a zero-tolerance policy against corruption," said Singh.
Further, the Minister said, "The government has given proper pay scale and facilities to doctors, who were satisfied. Many doctors were working with honesty, and hence corruption would not be tolerated."
Medical Dailogeus had previously reported that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught two senior officials with strong links to the healthcare sector - a retired dean of the Government Dental College in Asarwa and the Additional Secretary (Inquiry), Class 1, in the Health and Family Welfare Department red-handed while allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 15 lakh.
The bribe was reportedly sought from a doctor and another health official in exchange for influencing the outcome of a departmental inquiry related to alleged bogus medical practices in their favour. Dinesh Parmar, Additional Secretary (Inquiry), Class 1, in the Health and Family Welfare Department, and Girish Parmar, retired dean of the Government Dental College in Asarwa, allegedly conspired to demand a bribe from a former deputy director and his colleague, a fellow doctor.
Also read- Former Dental College Dean held for seeking bribe from doctors facing inquiry
