Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 26: Ronik Sharma State spokesman BJYM has demanded the renaming of District Hospital Poonch as Raja Sukhdev Singh District Hospital.
Addressing a press conference here, today he said that the name of the district hospital Poonch was on the name of Raja Sukhdev Singh which was established by the then Raja who also donated 64 kanals of land for the construction of hospital building. The Revenue records are testimony to it.
He said other wards adjoining hospital ward at that time were constructed and very capable doctors were appointed from outside the State and name of Raja Sukhdev Singh was written on the name plate also. Before independence this hospital catered to the needs of the people of four Tehsils Sadhnooti, Bagh, Mendhar and Poonch and free medicine were provided by the hospital to the patients, he added.
He said it is pertinent to mention here that administration of district as well as State is well aware of this fact that the name of the emergency block was on the name of the Raja Sukhdev Singh.
But some vested elements are trying to change the name and to demolish this heritage hospital, he said, adding during devastating earthquake of 2005, Poonch hospital suffered a huge loss in which district hospital building was also damaged and the name plate which displayed the name of the of Raja Sukhdev Singh on top of hospital building was also damaged but after completion of emergency block, the authorities tried to create controversy to change the name of Poonch hospital.
Mr Sharma said that some social activists also took up this issue with the higher authorities but the attitude of administration is passive and it is not willing to restore the name of the hospital as Raja Sukhdev Singh District Hospital Poonch.
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