Finding specialists for health services tough: Madan Mohan Mittal

BATHINDA: Recruiting medical officers in Punjab is becoming so hard that even the state health minister is finding it tough to have specialists in the state health department. Pained by the sheer shortage of medical specialists in health department, he preferred to recount instances of pleading before medical graduates and their family members to prevail upon them to join state health services.
Punjab health minister Madan Mohan Mittal said here on Wednesday, "I am at the helm for more than one year, but have failed to recruit doctors as per demand. I had tea and meals with them and tried to prevail upon them. Only then the recruitment drive started in right earnest," said Mittal, adding, "I even met parents of many doctors and told them how much respect the government doctors get in the society, in my bid to prevail upon them to persuade their wards to join government service."
Mittal said the state health department is in the process of recruiting medical officers and other para medical staff. He tried to equate doctors with officers of defense services and said that they are trying to ensure respect to doctors at the time of recruitment as is given to defense personnel.
Baring his mind out, Mittal said specialist doctors are being exempted from emergency services to make them available in hospitals and serve the ailing.
Gets worked up at Navjot's mention
Mittal, who reportedly shares uneasy ties with chief parliamentary secretary (health) Navjot Kaur Sidhu, was visibly uncomfortable at the mention of latter's name. He openly showed his dislike for Sidhu while talking to mediapersons on Wednesday over certain questions pertaining to his partymate. He chose to end the interaction when asked about his deputy and left the spot in a huff.