The ‘healing’ politicians of Punjab

Politics may have become their profession, but medicine remains their calling.

Across Punjab, a handful of elected representatives who once wore white coats continue to carry the healer’s touch long after entering public life. From conducting cataract surgeries and examining patients in clinics to offering health advice and monitoring hospitals with a doctor’s eye, these politicians have ensured that the physician within them never truly retired.

Among them is Punjab Cabinet Minister Dr Baljit Kaur, whose journey from ophthalmologist to politician has not diminished her commitment to patient care.

At 51, Dr Baljit Kaur won her maiden Assembly election from Malout in 2022 on an AAP ticket. The daughter of former Faridkot AAP MP Prof Sadhu Singh, she currently serves as Punjab’s Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development.

Before entering politics, Dr Kaur worked as an ophthalmologist in government hospitals, including those in Faridkot and Muktsar. She took voluntary retirement in 2021 to contest the 2022 Assembly elections.

Four years into her political career, the doctor in her remains very much alive.

“Whenever I meet people in my constituency, I often recognise patients whom I had operated upon years ago in Faridkot or Muktsar. After becoming an MLA and minister, I decided to continue organising medical camps whenever possible so that my professional skills could still benefit people,” she told The Indian Express.

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Since April this year alone, Dr Kaur said she has performed nearly 100 cataract surgeries during medical camps organised in Malout and Faridkot.

She recalls an  incident in September 2023, when while attending a political programme in Muktsar, she met Gurjeet Singh, a former cataract patient. Recognising his doctor, he requested surgery on his second eye as well.

“I readily agreed,” she said. The surgery was later performed during a medical camp in Muktsar.

Visitors to her office frequently find themselves receiving eye-care advice alongside political assistance.

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“When I wear the OT gown or sit in the OPD chair, I forget that I am a minister. I work purely as a doctor. Frankly speaking, it heals me from within as well. After a medical camp, I return home satisfied,” she said.

Looking back, Dr Kaur believes a transfer from Faridkot to Muktsar during her government service played a crucial role in shaping her political journey.

“I wanted to remain in Faridkot because my children were growing up and my father was based there. But I was transferred to Muktsar after he became an AAP MP in 2014. Today, I consider it a blessing in disguise. My extensive community work there helped me connect with people from far-flung villages, which eventually inspired me to enter politics,” she said.

Dr Dharamvira Gandhi: Balancing cardiology and constituency work

Another prominent example is Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi (75), a cardiologist who continues to see patients despite a long political career.

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A former senior lecturer of cardiology at Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, Dr Gandhi took premature retirement in 2010 and started private practice. An activist at heart, he joined Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement in 2011 and later entered politics through the Aam Aadmi Party.

He was elected MP from Patiala in 2014 on an AAP ticket and, after several political realignments, returned to Parliament in 2024 on a Congress ticket.

Yet his clinic in Patiala’s Rose Avenue remains an integral part of his routine.

“Parliament sessions last about four months in a year. For the rest of the time, I am in Patiala among the people. Politics is my passion for improving society, but medicine is my profession. I cannot abandon it,” he said.

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His clinic records an OPD footfall of more than 100 patients daily. While he limits his practice to consultations, ECGs and basic investigations, serious cases are referred to hospitals.

Notably, his clinic does not have a fixed consultation fee.

“We charge according to a patient’s capacity to pay. Sometimes we don’t charge anything at all,” he said.

Known for advocating lifestyle modifications over excessive medication, Dr Gandhi believes medicines should be prescribed only when necessary.

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“Treating people is not just a profession for me; it is a responsibility. Politics gives me one platform to serve society, but medicine gives me another,” he said.

Patients and visitors often see another side of him as well — a politician who personally serves tea or coffee to friends who drop by during clinic hours.

Dr Balbir Singh: A health minister with a doctor’s perspective

Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh (68), also an ophthalmologist by training, may no longer perform surgeries or run OPDs, but his medical background remains evident in his administrative approach.

A former Associate Professor at Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, Dr Singh retired before entering politics full-time.

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Doctors who have interacted with him said his understanding of medical systems allows him to grasp technical issues quickly during meetings with healthcare professionals and hospital administrators.

“Being a doctor himself, he understands the finer details better than many administrators. Sometimes it becomes difficult to convince him on certain demands because he examines every aspect thoroughly,” said a faculty member at Rajindra Medical College.

Even recently, amid the ongoing heatwave, Dr Singh issued detailed public advisories on preventing heatstroke and maintaining hydration, underscoring the influence of his medical training on his ministerial role.

Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi: Politics around OPD hours

For Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi (65), MLA from Banga, politics revolves around patient schedules rather than the other way around.

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An ENT specialist and owner of Sukhmani Multi-Speciality Hospital in Banga, Dr Sukhi remains actively involved in medical practice despite his political commitments.

A two-time MLA, he won the 2022 Assembly election on a Shiromani Akali Dal ticket and joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2024. During the 2022 elections, he emerged as the lone SAD MLA from the Doaba region amid a strong AAP wave.

Many attribute that success to his popularity as a doctor.

“Even today, I examine patients every morning from 8.30 am to 11.30 am. ENT surgeries are elective procedures, so I perform them either in the evening or early morning whenever possible,” he said.

Like Dr Gandhi, he follows a flexible fee structure.

“Many patients do not pay any fee. I never question them,” he said.

His wife is a government gynaecologist, while his two sons are also doctors — one based in Canada and the other in Derabassi. At Sukhmani Hospital, he personally oversees the ENT department while specialists manage other disciplines.

“My political engagements are planned around my OPD schedule. There are occasions, especially during Vidhan Sabha sessions, when I miss the OPD, but I try to stay connected with my profession every day,” he said.

“It is good to see politicians using their professional knowledge to help people even after entering politics,” said a Patiala resident.