Buzz about Sidhu Moosewala’s father contesting from Bathinda as Independent candidate
Chandigarh, December 12
Punjab has been battling financial crunch, but austerity seems to be meant only for the common man as the government has recently almost doubled the allowance for treatment of its ministers, legislators, former MLAs and their dependents.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with 33 top corporate hospitals of the region and the empanelment rates — those applicable under the Central Government Health Scheme — would be double than that for the government staff.
Among others, Medanta, Gurgaon; Delhi-based Escorts and Centre for Sight and Max and Fortis hospitals in Mohali are on the empanelment list.
The VIPs and employees were earlier paid equally at rates charged by PGI, Chandigarh, and AIIMS, New Delhi.
Sources said the move was initiated by the state department of parliamentary affairs and a brief given to the health department was to “empanel all top hospitals of the region”.
Principal Secretary (Parliamentary Affairs) KAP Sinha did not respond to repeated calls by The Tribune.
The idea to empanel major private facilities was the brainchild of the previous SAD-BJP coalition and it had begun the process in its last year of rule.
After taking charge, the Congress government ordered a review of various decisions taken by the previous regime, but for the one to empanel the hospitals “so that the VIPs and their family members didn’t face any difficulty when it came to treatment”, said an official.
In 2016, the government had introduced cashless health insurance for its employees and dependants and had even tried to bring the legislators under its ambit. “But the MLAs, cutting across party lines, gave a big thumbs down to the proposal and insisted on empanelment of top private hospitals, a demand the Congress government has fulfilled,” the official added.
