Chandigarh, Jan 22 (PTI) Protesting Punjab farmer leaders on Wednesday alleged “negligence” on the part of a team of government doctors that has been deputed to provide medical care to fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal at the Khanauri protest site.
They alleged that the government doctors could not place the intravenous needle properly which caused swelling in Dallewal’s arm on Tuesday night.
Dallewal started getting medical aid after a high-level central delegation last Saturday had invited the protesting farmers for a meeting to discuss their demands on February 14.
However, Dallewal refused to end his indefinite fast which reached its 58th day on Wednesday.
Addressing the media at the Khanauri border point on Wednesday, farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotra said the doctors, deputed by the state government, allegedly were “negligent”. He claimed that they could not insert the intravenous needle correctly which resulted in swelling and pain to Dallewal.
Another farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar too alleged that there was “negligence” on the part of doctors deputed to look after Dallewal on Tuesday night.
He further claimed that specialist doctors were not deputed at that time for Dallewal’s medical care.
After expressing displeasure over the alleged lapse, a team of senior doctors and administration officials arrived at the protest site on Wednesday and apologised for the Tuesday night incident, claimed Kohar.
Kohar further said they have come to know that a purported letter was written by the doctors, who were responsible for the “negligence”, alleging bad behaviour by farmers.
Kohar dubbed it as “baseless and false”.
He said senior doctors and administration officials assured the farmers that the strength of doctors would be increased here.
Dallewal was taken out of his trolley after 58 days for sunlight and fresh air, said farmer leaders.
A special room is being prepared for Dallewal and it will be completed in two-three days, they said.
On January 18, the central delegation led by Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, met Dallewal and representatives of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) at the Khanauri border point and invited them for resumption of talks on February 14 at Chandigarh.
Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands. PTI CHS KSS KSS
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