The Manipur State Illness Assistance Fund (MSIAF) Demand Committee has appealed to the state government to reimburse the pending amount for the treatment of patients under MSIAF scheme till 2017.
Before the launching of CMHT (Chief Minister-gi Hakshelgi Tengbang), the medical expenses for patients belonging to below poverty line (BPL) or Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) were reimbursed by the state government up to Rs 1.5 lakh under the MSIAF scheme, said convenor of the committee Arambam Ratandra while speaking to the media on Wednesday at Manipur Press Club, Imphal.
Following the launching of CMHT, the MSIAF scheme was closed in 2017. However, the government did not reimburse the treatment amount for 1,563 eligible patients amounting to Rs. 16,28,50,000 before the shutting down of the MSIAF scheme, he claimed.
The convenor also pointed out that unlike the MSIAF scheme, the CMHT does not provide reimbursement for treatment in all the hospitals in Manipur and none of the hospitals in other states.
Moreover, many AAY and BPL card holders are not getting the CMHT cards, stating that he appealed to the chief minister to look into such matters and take up appropriate action considering the suffering of the public, especially the low income families, in medical expenses.
The committee drew the attention of Chief Minister N Biren for immediate reimbursement of treatment amount considering the well being of the patients living with chronic diseases.
