The student body also demanded that the Education Department should clarify whether it gave permission to operate two CCC at Kakching in public educational institutions.
TFM Report
Manipuri Students’ Federation (MSF) urged the public to inform the student body if any private hospital is charging exorbitant amounts for treating COVID patients. MSF has provided two helpline numbers — 9402275850 and 8787604146.
MSF general secretary Hijam Roshan alleged that there have been instances of private hospitals of the state charging excessive amounts while treating COVID patients. The state government should look into the matter and take action against those private hospitals, he asserted.
While appreciating the Manipur government’s recent order fixing the prices for COVID treatment, MSF urged the government to take action against any private hospitals flouting the limits.
The student body also urged the government to train doctors to treat COVID patients online or over phone, stating that this will reduce the number of patients thronging to the hospitals.
Stating that in other states the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have opened helpline numbers to consult with patients, MSF also urged the IMA, Manipur State Branch to take up such initiatives to monitor and conduct counselling to those COVID patients in home isolation.
Meanwhile MSF Kakching District Committee demanded the state government to take action against those private hospitals who were operating COVID Care Centres at Wabagai Yangbi Girls High School and Kha Manipur College, Kakching, charging as they wish from the public.
In a release, MSF Kakching District Committee said that Sun Hospital was operating a CCC at Wabagai Yangbi Girls High School and Ema Hospital was operating a CCC in Kha Manipur College, Kakching. After receiving many complaints, the student body investigated and found that the two CCC were charging amounts exceeding the limit fixed by the government.
The student body also demanded that the Education Department should clarify in public whether it gave permission to operate these two CCC in public educational institutions.
MSF further said that the public in general and daily wage earners in particular are facing hardships due to the prevailing situations induced by the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst such hardships private hospitals should have some empathy so that the poor may avail the facilities of treating COVID-19 in private hospitals, it added.