Punjab News Express
PATIALA: Dr AS Sekhon, President of the Punjab Medical Council, here today lamented the malicious campaign started against him in a section of the media questioning his nomination and grant of honorarium to him by the Punjab government.
He said that a section of the media had earlier reported that the Medical Council of India had suspended his license to practice medicine for three years. He said that following this the Punjab Medical Council sent an official communication to the MCI seeking details of the orders, if any, passed by it. Even months after this letter was sent there has so far been no communication from the MCI in this matter.
Dr Sekhon said that he had been nominated president of the Punjab Medical Council by the State government and the honorarium too had been fixed by the government. The honorarium was not sanctioned to him alone (as president of the Punjab Medical Council) but also to Chairmen of the Punjab Homeopathic Council, Punjab Ayurvedic Council, Punjab Pharmacy Council and the Punjab Nursing Council. Thus it was clear that the honorarium sanctioned to him was not a favour as it was not sanctioned to him alone.
Regarding the purported MCI circular, which is alleged to have been concealed by him, Dr Sekhon said that the MCI has no control over the Punjab Medical Council (as also other state medical councils). The PMC had been constituted by an Act of the Punjab Legislative Assembly and the PMC was an autonomous body.
Dr Sekhon asserted that the vilification campaign against him had been orchestrated by vested interests backed by some political parties. These elements had been making issues out of non-issues and these were not based on any facts.
He alleged that during the tenure of the former Punjab Medical Council chief who had been quoted in the report the affairs of the PMC were in a mess and the PMC had become almost defunct.