The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi Govt. leaves common man in the lurch

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Monday, Nov 13, 2006
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New Delhi

Delhi Govt. leaves common man in the lurch

Staff Reporter

Recommends lowering free treatment quota for poor in private hospitals from 25 per cent to 10 per cent

NEW DELHI: Exposing the tall claims of the Congress Government for standing with the poor and also giving a backseat to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's slogan of "Aam Aadmi", the Delhi Government, succumbing to pressure from private hospitals, has recommended to the Centre lowering the percentage of free treatment quota for poor in such private hospitals from the present 25 per cent to 10 per cent.

Stating that the Qureshi Committee set up by the Delhi Government had suggested reduction in the quota of free treatment to poor patients recommended by the Delhi Government, the Health Minister, Yoganand Shastri informed that it had been decided to reduce the quota of free treatment to patients from 25 per cent at present to 10 per cent and the proposal had been sent for the approval of the Union Government.

The Delhi Development Authority and other land owning agencies had allotted land to such charitable institutions and school managements in the private sector at a concessional rate and in some cases on one rupee per year lease with the condition that they would provide 25 per cent free treatment to the poor patients in the OPD and on being admitted to the hospital. The Delhi Cabinet had recently approved the new formula loaded in favour of the private hospitals. It is learnt that intense lobbying and pressure by the private hospitals led to such a decision that has bruised the Congress party's image and that of its Government. There have been allegations in the past that under the quota for poor patients a large number of influential people including those linked with senior politicians and officials managed to get free treatment with the benefits not percolating to the sections it was meant for. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri who charged that the Delhi Government had scarified the interests of the poor and had gone back on the promise made by Ms. Gandhi to protect the cause of the Aam Aadmi at any cost, raised the matter in the Delhi Assembly and outside it. "They have not only deviated from the agenda of welfare of the poor and down trodden but have also set aside the concerns of their party president which is a serious matter," he added.

Mr. Bidhuri said it was shocking that the Delhi Government had gone ahead and reduced the quota for treatment of poor patients when land had been given to such institutions on the promise of providing free treatment to certain category with a certain quota. The irony, Mr. Bidhuri said what was even more surprising that while the Education Department was working for implementation of 25 per cent quota for poor students in the public schools and had succeeded to large extent, the opposite was happening in the health sector. The senior BJP MLA, Harsh Vardhan's suggestion to the Government to constitute a House Committee to look into the whole matter including implementation was turned down by the Health Minister without even going into the merits of the matter.

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