BJP asks Chief Minister Sukhu to restore HIMCARE, SAHARA flagship schemes

Senior BJP leader and party’s state general secretary Trilok Kapoor today asked Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to restore HIMCARE and Mukhya Mantri SAHARA Yojna flagship schemes closed by his government six months ago He said both schemes, which provide cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh to a family, medical assistance to people suffering from critical disease like cancer and kidney ailments among others, should not be stopped but reformed.

Addressing mediapersons here this morning, Kapoor said in September this year, the Chief Minister had promised in the Assembly that these schemes were not scrapped, but only stopped after complaints of irregularities were received. He said though the government had constituted a cabinet sub-committee to look into the matter, even after expiry of six months panel had failed to submit its report to the government resulting in hardships to poor patients. Though the HIMCARE scheme was available in government hospitals, patients had to wait for months even for minor surgeries and tests.

Kapoor admitted that there could be some instances of irregularities and misuse of these schemes by private hospitals, but the government should plug loopholes and remove bottlenecks instead of closing these schemes which had affected the common man in the state.

He said the government should come out with transparent medical reimbursement schemes like HIMCARE as committed by the CM to help the genuine and deserving patients.

Kapoor expressed concerns over the poor health services at the Tanda Medical College due to vacant posts of specialists and super specialists in various departments. He sought Sukhu’s intervention for filling all posts without any delay.

He said despite the fact the Tanda Medical College was the biggest medical institute in the lower hills of the state, which caters to the medical needs of the one-third population comprising six districts, it was in a state of neglect. He said the institute was also producing graduates, postgraduates and super-specialist doctors every year. He said the government should strengthen this institution on top priority.

But in the absence of proper faculties, research, teaching and health services in the institution had been hit in the past two years, he said. The situation turned from bad to worse when the government relieved a number of super-specialists to join other medical colleges in the state and outside during the past two years, he said. Since then no efforts were made to fill these posts, he said.

Kapoor further said it was shocking that the elevators of the Tanda Medical College were out of order for the past one year and its management had no funds to get these repaired. The Chief Minister should not be a mute spectator on such important issues, he said.