PHAGWARA: Phagwara MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal has described the imposition of a new ₹20 lakh bond on MBBS students and unnecessary tuition fee hikes as a major assault on the dreams of aspiring doctors, particularly those from middle and lower-income families.
Talking to media here today He explained that becoming a doctor today already costs students ₹13-14 lakh, which is already excessive, and this new ₹20 lakh bond is outright exploitation.
He said that despite their 24/7 commitment to public health, Punjab’s resident doctors receive the lowest stipends in the entire country. On top of this, the new bond policy is exploitative, and the fee hike is making it impossible for deserving students to pursue medical education, pushing them out of the system.
Dhaliwal criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for watching the state’s healthcare system collapse without taking any action to save it. He asked, “Where is the ‘revolution’ you were supposed to bring to the education and health systems? The improvements our government had made in both education and health sectors have been destroyed by the Aam Aadmi Party government’s poor policies.”
Dhaliwal demanded that “the ₹20 lakh bond policy be immediately withdrawn, the stipends of these doctors be increased immediately, and this unjustified tuition fee hike be rolled back.”
Dhaliwal warned the government that “AAP’s policies will force Punjab’s medical students to leave Punjab or abandon medical education entirely, leading to a severe shortage of doctors in the future. Even currently, Punjab is struggling with a major shortage of doctors in its government hospitals, affecting healthcare services.”
He said, “There can be no compromise with Punjab’s health. A government that fails to protect its patients and doctors has done nothing for its people. The Chief Minister should now intervene personally and immediately accept these doctors’ demands to end their strike, so that our patients don’t face further difficulties.”
He stated, “The Congress Party stands firmly with young doctors and the people of Punjab, and we demand immediate action from the government.“