Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro on Monday asked the Health and Family Welfare Minister in the State Assembly to form a committee and inquire into the allegation of private hospitals not providing free treatment to poor people and exploiting them.
The Speaker made the ruling as members expressed unhappiness alleging that almost all private hospitals are neglecting and exploiting poor people in the capital city.
Raising the issue, BJP MLA Mohan Majhi said he was misbehaved by DGM and account staff of the Kalinga Hospital as he urged them to release the body of a 22-year-old Sachin Barik who died of kidney related diseases after a month’s treatment on June 29. The father of the patient had already paid Rs 7.60 lakh towards treatment fees by borrowing from relatives as the hospital authorities denied giving treatment to him under the Odisha State Treatment Fund. However, the authorities asked the family to deposit balance of Rs 16,500 before taking the body home. They kept the body for long seven hours.
Congress MLA Suresh Kumar Routray too resented saying that private hospital are not treating poor people (30 per cent BPL patients) as per the agreement with the Government. They are exploiting poor people, he said and sought action.