: Members cutting across party lines urged Chief Minister N.Rangasamy today to ensure that medical aid from the government relief scheme was available to the patients without delay.
Ruling AINRC legislator G Nehru who tabled the main question in the assembly on the suject, said whenever patients were unable to get treatment for want of facilities in government hospitals here, they seek treatment in corporate hospitals in metros in neighbouring States, resulting in heavy expenditure for them. Government should operate a Health Insurance Scheme, he said.
Replying to the member's plea, the CM said there was no such plan now. However the Medical Relief Society constituted by the government was sanctioning Rs 1.5 lakh for treatment of critical ailments in corporate hospitals. The government had earmarked Rs 3.7 crore this fiscal, he said.
Members of both the ruling and opposition blocks drew the Chief Minister's attention to the delay in getting aid for treatment in leading hospitals in Chennai and other places.
A Anbalagan (AIADMK) said whenever patients went to corporate hospitals they were asked to pay the advance amount and then only treated. Sanction of assistance took at least three years and they had to raise loans from private sources for expenses immediately.
Whenever a No Objection Certificate was issued by the hospital authorities here it meant they were eligible for the aid from the Relief Society. This could be sufficient for the corporate hospital to attend the case without insisting payment in advance he said.
R.Siva (AINRC) said though there was an announcement before the Lok Sabha polls that a Super Speciality hospital would come up in Karaikal through ONGC, nothing had happened though a foundation stone was laid a few days before the model code of conduct came into being.
