Heartless Health Systems of Bengal
A teenage girl needing a heart surgery waiting for last six years because her father had to deposit Rs. 1.12 lakhs which will be refunded after the operation under the Chief Ministers relief fund scheme. Rina Chetri’s father is a mere rickshaw puller from Sonarpur who hardly earns Rs. 1,500 per month. Still her father tried to save the whole amount from last 75 months and staying at SSKM for his daughter’s surgery.
A 15 year old girl needing a heart surgery waiting for last six years because her father had to deposit Rs. 1.12 lakhs which will be refunded after the operation under the Chief Ministers relief fund scheme.
Rina Chetri's father is a mere rickshaw puller from Sonarpur who earns hardly Rs. 1,500 per month. Still her rickshaw puller father Ganesh Chetri tried to save the whole amount from last 75 months and staying at SSKM for his daughter's surgery.
Rina's condition is called Mitral Insufficiency, where the valves don't close properly and the blood flows in different direction. Her problem was undetected until she fainted one day six years ago. Rina's mother Konika took her to National Medical College and detected the same. Doctors told them to deposit an estimated cost of Rs. 50,000 to operate, but they don't have the money and had to taken away from there. Then Ganesh and Kanika tried at NRS Medical College and the doctors told them the estimated cost of Rs.1.0 lakh. While told he don't have the money, the hospital authority refer them to Vellore.
In this way they are running here and there for the treatment from the Health Department and many Charitable Organisations.
Rina was admitted in a private hospital after a massive respiratory distress last month and successfully operated last week at AMRI, Dhakuria without depositing a single penny unlike SSKM under the Chief Ministers relief fund scheme and Rina is quite well now.
One of the Health Dept's official said the State Govt. has the scheme of free treatment for this kind of surgery, but the patient party has to deposit a minimum cost which is reimbursable after the submission of prescription and bills to the reimbursement section after the operation.
This is really heartless treatment to the poor, who really don't have the funds to go to the private ones. Is this the way the health dept should treat the poor ones and call strike for their pay hike? Well I think the Chetri family and there near ones had a good experience about the same and will make an impact on the Assembly Election.
Please let me know your views as well.
