Imphal, June 05: With frequent threats and disturbances from the side of UGs in the functioning of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), a situation has been created where the officials of RIMS are able to take up necessary measures in time for providing free medical treatment to patients belonging to BPL families.

Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, an official source from RIMS conveyed that as a follow up action to the announcement made by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ambumani Ramadoss during his twoday visit to the State last month, the Union Ministry has issued instruction to work out the necessary arrangements and submit the estimated cost at the earliest possible so that free treatment of BPL patients can begin from either July end or beginning August this year.

Unfortunately, as a result of frequent threats and intimidation including violence perpetrated inside RIMS campus, none of the officials have been able to concentrate on their work.

This has created a situation in which the promises made by the Union Minister may not be translated into action in time, the official rued.

Explaining that under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) of the Government of India, free medical treatment specially for Cancer and Heart diseases are being provided to patients belonging to BPL families and this facility can be availed in hospitals like AIIMS at Delhi very easily, the official observed that besides other difficulties, as they are required to go to Delhi, patients from Manipur do not even try to get such benefits.

As such, the announcement of the Union Health Minister for providing free treatment to BPL patients in Manipur at RIMS along with setting up of a corpus fund has become something untenable.

To neutralise these ills and implement the scheme, RIMS officials need to work out a detailed report on the numbers of patients admitted to RIMS in a year and how many of them belonged to BPL families, how much medicines are required for treatment as per the prescription written by the attending doctors.

But the RIMS officials have not been able to dispense with their duties due to frequent threats and disturbances, the official reiterated.

The official further disclosed the issues related to hiking the number of MBBS seats in RIMS to 150 and providing free treatment facilities to BPL patients are among the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting of Board of Governors to be attended by Union Health Minister at Delhi on June 12 .

However, as RIMS officials have not been able to prepare the required report, not to mention the necessary ground works, the discussion is not likely to have any result.

Once the facility for free treatment is introduced in RIMS, many patients coming from BPL families would be benefiting not only in cases related to minor and major operations but also in treatment of Cancer and Heart diseases, the official said, adding that necessary medicines and medical investigations would be provided free of cost to the BPL patients.

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