Patiala, Jan. 7 -- The Punjab health department on Tuesday issued new guidelines about the deployment of specialist doctors during VIP and VVIP visits. As per the guidelines, accessed by HT, the specialist doctors will be deployed only for the visits of the Punjab governor, chief minister and the deputy chief minister. The department has also curtailed the number of specialists assigned for such duties, reducing the strength from the existing five to just two. Until now, the government had not formally defined a list of VIPs eligible for specialist medical cover. Hence, specialists were often deputed for the visits of ministers, CMs of other states, and even for programmes involving ruling party functionaries. The new guidelines have come after complaints by the medical staff over the growing burden of VIP duties. As per the orders, either one specialist from the medicine or anaesthesia will be deputed. "Only one from either MS Surgery or MS Orthopaedics will be deployed during the governor's or chief minister's visits," the order also said. Under the revised policy, medical specialists will not be deployed at protest sites, national, state-level sports or cultural events. Instead, the department has directed that rural medical officers (RMOs), along with paramedical staff, should be assigned duties at protest sites, sports events, fairs and cultural events....