Mangaluru, September 18: Under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Arogya Karnataka Scheme, each BPL family would be given free healthcare facility up to Rs 5 lakh in the state, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Shivanand Patil.

After distributing the medical equipment to the physically disabled children, sponsored by the MRPL worth Rs 1.85 crore, at the town hall here on Tuesday, he said that under the both the programmes, the state government has planned to give treatment to over 1600 diseases. Total  1.20 crore families would get the benefit of this scheme, he said.

Due to scarcity of doctors in government hospitals, the government has appointed 420 doctors including 180 specialist doctors and 240 doctors and 1618 nurses were appointed. In coming days, few more hundred doctors and other staff would be appointed to ensure good healthcare facilities to the people, he said.

The state government has taken steps to give compensation to the endosulfan affected  people on the line of Kerala. Their annual pension was increased by 33 percent and priority was being given to them in government appointment, he said hailing the contribution of the MRPL.

Presiding over the programme,  MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that the state government has done a good job by merging the Arogya Karnataka with Ayushman Bharat Yojana of the central government and appreciated the contribution of the MRPL to the district.

MLA Dr Y Bharat Shetty, ZP president Meenakshi Shantigodu, vice president Kasturi Panja, standing committee president Anitha Hemanath Shetty, MRPL Group Manager (HR) BHB Prasad, Group Manager (Finance) Subrata Bandyopadhyay, Deputy Commissioner Saskinath Senthil, ZP CEO Dr MR Ravi, Wenlock, Lady Goschen Hospital Joint Director Dr Damayanti Krishnamohan, Wenlock hospital district surgeon Dr Rajeshwari Devi, DHO Dr M Ramakrishna Rao, physically disabled district nodal officer Dr Rathnakar, woman and child welfare department deputy director Sundar Poojary and others were present.

Equipment worth Rs 1.85 cr distributed

The MRPL, in association with the district health and family welfare department, has distributed medical equipment worth Rs 1.85 crore for physically disabled and children’s care centres. Tricycles, wheelchairs, artificial limbs, and other materials were distributed to 1093 physically disabled and TV, fans, washing machines, books, desks, benches and others were given to 71 child care centres on the occasion.



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Haldwani (Uttarakhand), Dec 8: Unable to afford a private ambulance service, a woman took her brother's body, tied to the roof of a taxi, to a village in Pithoragarh district, 195 kilometres away.

Taking cognizance of the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had ordered an inquiry into the matter and directed the officials to take strict actions against the culprits.

According to police, Shivani (22), a resident of a village in Berinag lived with her younger brother Abhishek (20).

On Friday, Abhishek came from work early and complained of a headache. He was later found unconscious near a railway track and taken to Sushila Tiwari Government Medical College in Haldwani for treatment. The doctors declared him dead.

After conducting the post-mortem, the police handed over the body to Shivani on Saturday.

She reportedly spoke to many ambulance drivers standing outside the hospital mortuary to take her brother's body home but they asked for Rs 10,000 - 12,000 as fare.

Being unable to arrange for the fare price, she called a taxi driver from her village and was forced to take the body by tying it to the roof of the vehicle and travel 195 kilometres.

When asked about the incident, Dr Arun Joshi, Principal of Sushila Tiwari Government Medical College, said that the incident happened outside the hospital because of which it did not come to his notice.

He said, "If it had happened inside the hospital or if I was asked for help, I would have helped."

The patient's relatives who were standing outside the hospital said that no one supervises private ambulances and they charge exorbitant fares for taking patients.

Dhami has asked the state Health Secretary Dr R Rajesh Kumar to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter and take strict action against the culprits, a government spokesperson said.