Medical reimbursement scam: Minister withdraws Rs.2 crores
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, February 03 2014: As a clear instance of discrimination within the State Government, some lower grade employees have been denied medical reimbursement for cancer treatment worth few lakhs of rupees while an incumbent Cabinet Minister has bagged a whopping sum of Rs.2 crores for treating his wife, now passed away, in the United States.

On December 27 last year, Hueiyen Lanpao published an exclusive story on two cancer patients, who are employees of State Government.

Both patients were referred to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai by the State Medical Board.

However, they could not get treatment at the Tata Hospital as there were many patients and they had to wait for over three months to get the treatment.

As their health condition deteriorated, both patients were given urgent medical treatment at Dr Bhallavai Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai.

Unfortunately, one of the patients died few months after the treatment while the other survived in a critical condition.

As the legitimate right of every Government employee, reimbursement of medical expenses for both patients was applied to the department concerned.

However, the State Medical Board headed by the Director of Health Services rejected the deceased patient's reimbursement claims on the ground that the hospital he had undergone treatment is not empanelled for medical reimbursement by the State Government.

But, the reimbursement claims of the other cancer patient, who had undergone treatment in the same hospital (Dr Bhallavai Nanavati Hospital), was approved by the Medical Directorate.

The discriminatory attitude of the Medical Directorate was highlighted in that report.

But, now the discrimination grows bigger with the Director of Health Services Dr A Bijoy cancelling the post facto approval of medical reimbursement of that cancer survivor which was already approved by himself (Dr Bijoy).

The cancellation of post facto approval was probably done in order to avoid any unwanted issue in the Medical Directorate regarding medical reimbursement of Government employees.

From the acts of the Medical Director, it is clear that the employees cannot get medical reimbursement if they undergo treatment at some non-empanelled hospitals.

However, when it comes to Ministers, things can be bent or twisted in any manner.

On April, 2012, the State Medical Board referred the wife of a Cabinet Minister for treatment of cancer at some advanced hospitals in the United States, such as Mayo Clinic, Rochester and MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston (Texas), which are totally alien to the so-called empanelled hospitals of the State Medical Directorate.

Necessary rectifications were then made in the empanelment list in order to fulfill the Cabinet Minister's wish.

Subsequently, all medical expenses for Minister's wife including travel fares were duly reimbursed to the Minister by an order of the State Government.

A whopping sum of Rs.2 crores was withdrawn as medical reimbursement for the first time in the history of Manipur during Chief Minister Okram Ibobi's tenure.

Many have raised questions over such discrimination within the State Government.

The Ministers alone are not the Government.

The powerful and well to do people can claim anything from the Government, but the poor employees are deprived of their rights even at the most crucial moment of their lives just for the sake of some rules.

Governor of Manipur VK Duggal should look into such malpractices and discriminatory acts of the State Government, the aggrieved people told Hueiyen Lanpao.

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