Students, some elected members, civil society organisations and COVID-19 patients in Manipur have protested against the exorbitant fee being charged by the private hospitals. Some patients find it shocking as the bills come to ₹1,50,000 per day.
It has come to light that most of the private hospitals in and around the Imphal city are forcing the patients to fork out huge bills ignoring the reasonable rates fixed by the State government last week. In the absence of specific order from the State government, the hospital managements are claiming that the rates are not applicable to them.
The leaders of the Manipuri Students’ Federation said, “We demanded a uniform fee structure for the government and the private hospitals in the interests of the poor sections of the people. We appreciate the rates fixed by the government. Stern actions should be taken to save the poor. Some families feel that it is easier if their patients die since they cannot afford the treatment in the government hospitals and private as well.”
Congress ML K. Joykishan said, “Though the government had announced the new rates, they are not implemented in the private hospitals. As the government cannot accommodate the increasing number of patients, they are going to these expensive hospitals.” He also said the curfew and the strict steps have not helped reduce the increasing number of infections. “The government should take a firm stand on the implementation of the new rates. The private hospitals should be generous while dealing with the poor people.”
Journalist S. Hemant, former president of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union, died on Sunday due to COVID-19. The number of former elected members, doctors and others who succumbed to the virus is increasing daily.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday announced a welfare scheme for the children whose parents had been killed by the pandemic.
However, the Agriculture Department’s plan to buy vegetables from farmers to sell through home delivery has not found many takers. Hence, the government is relaxing curfew for three hours occasionally so that the farmers and the women vendors could sell the same to the huge number of buyers.
