CM warns of strict action, even cancellation of license of pvt hosps, if patients refused admission

Ranaghat (Nadia): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warned stringent actions including cancellation of licence of big private hospitals and nursing homes who refuse Swasthya Sathi cards and harass patients.

Addressing a mammoth rally here on Monday afternoon she urged the Swasthya Sathi card holders who will be refused by the private hospitals to lodge FIRs with police.

"The chief secretary will sit with the nursing home authorities to discuss the issue," she said. "The licence of the offenders may be cancelled and the state government has this power," she warned.

Coming down heavily on BJP for spreading canard against Swasthya Sathi scheme, she said: "The members will get treatment worth Rs 5 lakh free. They may go to big hospitals like AIIMS or Christian Medical College, Vellore to avail this facility. However, in Ayushman Bharat, the members will have to dish out Rs 150 to get the card and above all the Centre will bear 60 per cent of the expenditure while the remaining 40 per cent will have to be given by the state government." She claimed that Swasthaya Sathi is "much better scheme."

Banerjee added that so far more than 2 crore people have visited the outreach camps of Duare Sarkar. Out of this 9.87 lakh people from Nadia district have visited the camps while from Ranaghat about 2.25 lakh people had visited. "Duare Sarkar has been greatly appreciated by the people," she remarked.