With Covid-19 positive patients increasing rapidly in Nagpur, citizens started facing few issues which are causing bottlenecks and roadblocks for early treatment. Taking this issue in public interest a delegation of Vidarbha Taxpayers Association (VTA) led by its president Shrawankumar Malu met Ravindra Thakare – Collector and Ram Joshi – Additional Municipal Commissioner, NMC. The delegation had detailed discussion and also submitted memorandum in writing with suggestions.
Shrawankumar Malu requested that Administration has thankfully appointed few hospitals for Covid treatment, however most of them are premium hospitals and as such beyond the reach of common man; therefore its highly recommended that more hospitals in mid segment may please be appointed and if required, Government should be asked to provide ventilators and other mandatory life saving equipment to such hospitals so that those who are unable to afford expensive treatment may have such private facilities available.
J. P. Sharma, IPP VTA submitted that it is also an admitted position that we need to survive with this virus for few more months or even a year, hence it’s recommended that shops on main road having enough width are permitted to remain open all six working days with all requisite SOPs. We can start with wider roads, then gradually increase or withdraw taking into consideration the situation then.
Tejinder Singh Renu secretary of VTA submitted that on recommendations by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) various insurance companies have come up dedicated covid mediclaim policies like Covid Kavach and Covid Rakshak, which covers medical expenditure due to Covid from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 5,00,000; moreover many citizens already have mediclaim policies. It has been reported that few hospitals demand deposits in lakhs of rupees from Covid positive patients before allotting them beds despite showing mediclaim policy. At times it is also found that they refuse to allot beds to patients with mediclaim policy if their family isn’t in a position to deposit the amount demanded by the Hospital.
Renu suggested that under such circumstances, it is requested that the Administration may please circulate a toll-free or few mobile numbers on which such patients can register their grievances, if any. So that the Administration can intervene and take appropriate steps, in the interest of natural justice. We further declare that VTA is not at all against hospitals as we understand their situation too, only few black-sheep in their fraternity cause such situations and then all have to follow the directions by the Government / Administration.
VTA also requested that traders are being asked by Administration to get Covid tests done of their and their employees which is a good initiative, however if the lab designated is far then its purpose will get defeated. So it’s requested that such labs may be at approachable distance from main market areas and the charges be borne by the Government / Administration as during such bad economic conditions due to virus, majority of traders will not be able to take such burden.
VTA requested Administration to consider these suggestions in public interest and issue appropriate orders in the larger interest of our society. Both Ravindra Thakare – Collector and Ram Joshi – Additional Municipal Commissioner, NMC assured that they will go through the matter and take necessary steps.
