“Suspending Doctors is Not Enough, Health Minister Must Resign”: Padma Shri Pargat Singh

– FIR must be filed for gross negligence; suspension alone won’t absolve the government

– AAP must answer: Is this genuine accountability or just eyewash?

– Oxygen failure in ICU is not an accident—it is a result of AAP government’s systemic failure

Jalandhar (The Uttam Hindu): Following the tragic deaths of three patients in the ICU of Jalandhar Civil Hospital due to oxygen plant failure, Padma Shri Pargat Singh—MLA and Secretary of the All India Congress Committee—has launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for attempting to escape responsibility by merely suspending a few doctors.

Calling the incident an “institutional failure,” he said: “Three precious lives have been lost. This isn’t just a tragedy—it’s criminal negligence. The government must file FIRs against those responsible. Simply suspending doctors will not save face. Accountability must begin from the top.”

Pargat Singh held Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh directly responsible for this failure and demanded his immediate resignation.

“Who will be held accountable if a basic life-support system like an ICU oxygen plant fails? Shouldn’t the Health Minister and department heads be answerable too?” he asked.

He further said that the suspensions appeared to be a “public relations tactic rather than a meaningful step toward justice”, and he will raise the issue in the upcoming Punjab Assembly session.

“Lives aren’t saved by posters, but by preparation. The government must come down from hoardings and face ground reality,” he said.

Pargat Singh’s Demands:

• Immediate technical audit of ICU oxygen supply systems across Punjab

• Filing of FIRs against those responsible for negligence

• Clear and direct accountability of hospital administrators and health department officials

• Structural reforms in Punjab’s public health infrastructure

He added that while AAP boasts about “health revolutions,” the ground situation shows a crumbling system. The incident has proven that the government is more focused on headlines than on hospitals.