Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
In a major initiative to recognise the exceptional service of medical professionals, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh honoured 59 outstanding doctors from the government and private sectors during the State-Level Doctors' Award Ceremony held at Municipal Bhawan on the occasion of National Doctors' Day.
The awards were presented under the Punjab Government's first-of-its-kind Policy to Honour Doctors for Outstanding Services, introduced by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government. Under the merit-based policy, top-performing doctors from the State Health Department, Government Medical Colleges and the private sector received a Certificate of Honour along with a memento.
Congratulating the awardees, Dr Balbir Singh highlighted the achievements of Dr Virendra Singh, Director of the Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (PILBS). He said the facility, originally planned as a Community Health Centre, has now evolved into a premier liver institute where the state's first liver transplant has been successfully performed, while kidney transplant services are expected to begin soon.
The Health Minister also praised Dr Ashish Gulia, Director of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, for strengthening cancer care in Punjab and promoting early diagnosis and prevention. He further commended renowned cardiologist Dr Bishav Mohan and neurologist Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian for successfully leading the Punjab STEMI and Punjab Stroke Projects, which have helped save thousands of lives through timely treatment.
Under the Punjab STEMI Project, heart attack patients receive the life-saving Tenecteplase injection, costing between ₹25,000 and ₹35,000, free of charge. Similarly, the Punjab Stroke Project provides free mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke patients through a hub-and-spoke model led by Christian Medical College (CMC), Ludhiana.
Describing doctors as global role models, Dr Balbir Singh said medical professionals have always remained on the frontline during floods, the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies. He thanked them for serving patients with compassion even during the most challenging times.
The minister reiterated that the Punjab Government is committed to providing quality healthcare in government hospitals comparable to private institutions, ensuring better access to affordable treatment for economically weaker sections.
He also announced that the government will soon organise a similar state-level function to honour the dedicated services of ASHA workers, paramedical staff, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.
Prominent Awardees
The distinguished recipients included Dr Virendra Singh, Dr Sreenivas Reddy, Dr Ashish Gulia, Dr Rajinder Singh Parmar, Dr Rohit Om Parkash, Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian, Dr Bishav Mohan, Dr Col. Rajinder Singh, Dr Bhavneet Bharti, Dr Rakesh Sharma, Dr Neetu Kukar, Dr Sanjeev Bhagat, Dr Satinderjit Singh Bajaj, Dr Rashmi Vij, Dr Vireshwar Chawla, Dr Arun Bansal, Dr Vishal, Dr Pankaj Bansal, Dr Amandeep Singh Dhiman, Dr Neeru Syal, Dr Kavita, Dr Edison Eric, Dr Vishal Bajaj, Dr Anchal Nandrajog, Dr Prabhjot, Dr Priyageet Kalsi, Dr Seema Garg, Dr Manmohan Singh, Dr Rajesh Garg, Dr Beyant Singh, Dr Gurdev Singh Bhatti, Dr Anju, Dr Ramandeep Ahluwalia, Dr Akhil Sarin, Dr Maninder Singh Bhasin, Dr Sajila Khan, Dr Upvan Chobera, Dr Lakhbir Kaur, Dr Parvinder Kaur, Dr Madhvi, Dr Gagandeep Kaur, Dr Neha, Dr Puneet Saini, Dr Indermanjot Singh Arora, Dr Pindervir Singh, Dr Girish Dogra, Dr Navdeep Singh, Dr Anamika Soni, Dr Esha Arora, Dr Harpreet Singh, Dr Satwinder Pal Singh, Dr Neeraj Lata, Dr Anil Goyal, Dr Subhash Kumar, Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, Dr Gagandeep Singh Grover, Dr Sunita Devi, Dr Arshdeep Kaur, and Dr Gurmandeep Singh.
