The New Indian Express: Cuttack:
Friday, March 22, 2013.
With the
private hospitals and nursing homes in the State not abiding by the Supreme
Court order for free treatment of poor patients, demand for Government action
to ensure its implementation has gained momentum.
In a
memorandum submitted to Chief Secretary BK Patnaik, city-based Odisha Yuva
Manch has called for a notification for implementation of the order stipulating
free treatment to 25 per cent of outdoor and 10 per cent of indoor patients in
private hospitals and nursing homes.
The apex
court in a judgment on September 1, 2011, had ruled for free treatment to patients
belonging to BPL category, AAY card holders and those having monthly income
less than minimum wages of an unskilled worker by private hospitals which have
been allotted land by the Government. There are more than 39 private hospitals
and nursing homes in Bhubaneswar that have been allotted land on subsidised
rate by the Government.
“Despite a
lapse of a year and half, the ailing poor are still being deprived of the
facility at private hospitals and nursing homes. Responding to our RTI
application, the Health and Family Welfare Department has admitted that it has
not yet issued any notification for implementation of the order,” president of
OYM Rohan Kumar Mohanty said.
The Health
Department in July last year had asked the private hospitals to provide free
treatment to the patients as per the order of the Supreme Court. Irrespective
of whether they have availed Government land on concession rates or not, all
private hospitals will have to abide by the norms, the then Health Minister
Prasanna Acharya had asserted while stating that detailed guidelines would be
issued soon. However, the guidelines are yet to see the light of the day.
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