Punjab govt yet to pay pending medical cost of Burundi student

A private hospital today claimed that Punjab government has not given any written assurance for reimbursing the pending Rs 25 lakh amount incurred on the treatment of Burundi national Yannick Nihangaza, who was admitted here following an attack on him in Jalandhar.
"We have not yet received any written commitment from Punjab Government regarding reimbursement of expenses incurred on Burundi national," Kanishka Nohria, General Manager of Columbia Asia Hospital told reporters here.
The Punjab government had extended a sum of Rs 5 lakh towards medical expenses for Yannick. But the expenses incurred on the Burundi national, who is still admitted here are much more, hospital sources said.

Notably, in January this year the hospital had sent a bill of Rs 30 lakh to the Punjab government for reimbursement.
23-year-old Yannick Nihangaza, student of B.Sc. Computers at a private university in Jalandhar was assaulted by a group of youngsters on April 22 last year. He was attacked with stones, severely beaten and left on the roadside before passersby took him to the hospital after which he was shifted to Columbia Asia Hospital.
Regarding Yannick's condition, Nohria said that there has been no considerable improvement in his condition and there was no plan to airlift him to his native country as there were practical difficulties in doing so.

Nestor Ntibateganya, father of Yannick, has been residing in hospital to take care of his ailing son.