Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata on Thursday. (Express photo by Subham Dutta)
Government-run hospitals in the state will restrict the facility of free-treatment only for residents of West Bengal due to financial constraints, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday.
The facility will no longer be extended to residents of other states and countries, Mamata, who also holds the Health portfolio, said.
Speaking at the 6th convention of West Bengal University of Health Sciences here, the chief minister said, “Free treatment at state-run hospitals is unique in Bengal. But we have noticed that people from some neighbouring states and even some neighbouring countries are coming here and trying to avail the benefits. But considering the financial constraints of the state government, it will no more be possible to provide free treatment to patients coming from other states or countries.”
In 2015, the government had announced free treatment for all patients (from Bengal and outside) at five state hospitals.
The chief minister said that a special card will be introduced for those entitled to free-treatment at state-run hospitals. “This special card will be given only to residents of Bengal,” she said.
However, Mamata added, that withdrawal of free-treatment facility does not mean refusal of treatment to patients from neighbouring state or countries.
“We will not refuse to treat patients of other states. We will just stop giving them free treatment,” Mamata said.
As per health department sources, out of every 100 patient getting free treatment, 20 are from other states and countries. “Majority of these patients are from Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern UP, Bangladesh and Nepal,” said a health department official.
Meanwhile, Mamata lambasted the Union HRD ministry over the 2018 NEET exam question paper controversy.
“In many subjects, examinees from Bengal did not get question papers in Bengali language. In certain cases, the number of question papers was lesser than the number of examinees. I have already written a letter to the Union HRD minister registering our protest. Everyone should protest against this,” she said.
The chief minister also claimed that before her party came to power in the state in 2011, institutional delivery was just 45 per cent, but presently it has increased to 96 per cent.