The increased out patient and in-patient ticket rates in the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) should be withdrawn, said senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Inaugurating a protest programme organised by the Youth Congress district committee in front of the SCTIMST here on Wednesday, he said health schemes introduced for the poor and common people such as Ayushman Bharat, Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati (KASP), Kerala’s integrated health financing scheme launched in alignment with Ayushman Bharat, Thalolam’ scheme, Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) etc, should be reinstated at the earliest.
The SCTIMST was launched during the tenure of Achutha Menon government in Kerala and Indira Gandhi government at the Centre with view to providing affordable and advanced treatment to the poor. The UDF government had brought in various health schemes to help the poor, whatever be the cost of the treatment. Now the LDF government has sabotaged many of the health schemes introduced for the poor including the Karunya scheme, said Mr Chandy.
Ensuring affordable treatment for the common man is not just a health issue but a social issue. Advanced treatment should be the right of the poor, said Mr Chandy. The Youth Congress organised the protest programme demanding the reinstatement of scrapped health schemes and seeking the appointment of a director who has enough expertise and professional experience. Youth Congress district president Sudheersha Palode presided over the function.
