PPCM for free treatment of Covid patients
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 30 2021:
Asserting that several poor families are on the verge of losing their homestead land in bearing the treatment cost of Covid-19 when any member of their families is circumstantially compelled to undergo treatment in private hospital, Protection and Preservation Committee Manipur (PPCM) has appealed to the state government to provide free and compulsory treatment to all the Covid-19 patients whether in government or private hospitals.
In a statement, PPCM said that the poor people are the worst hit by the pandemic and many of them are forced to go to private hospitals due to non-availability of beds in government hospitals when they develop severe complications out of Covid-19.In the process, many of them ended up mortgaging or selling off their properties including their homestead lands, it stated while urging for ensuring free treatment of all Covid-19 patients.
It further appealed to the government to sponsor at least 50 per cent of the treatment cost in private hospitals and urged doctors, nurses and owners of private hospitals to lower the cost as much as possible.
PPCM also proposed that the government frame a special policy for the healthcare workers in recognition of their contribution in fighting the pandemic It then stressed the need for assessing the increasing number of Covid deaths and initiate pro-active measures to minimise casualty.