Newmai News Network
AIZAWL | January 8
The Mizoram government on Thursday came under sever attack over its new rule, which demanded prior permission from private hospitals to obtain blood bags from government run blood banks against the previous system.
The new rule, which came into effect from January 6, was seen as a discriminatory move by oppositions and some organisations to restrict private or non-empanelled hospitals so that they agree to implement the state healthcare scheme.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference here on Thursday, Congress youth president, Dr. Lalmalsawma Nghaka said that the state government has recently issued a notification according to which private hospitals have to obtain prior permission from the Director of Hospital and Medical Education before seeking blood bags from Aizawl Civil hospital. He alleged that the new rule is a move to not only restrict but force private or non-empanelled hospitals to implement the government healthcare scheme. He also said that many patients and private hospitals are facing inconvenience in obtaining blood bags from government hospitals following the new rule.
Citing that patients will face further problems in emergency case, the Congress youth leader asked the state government as to how it will issue blood bags in such case.
The Congress youth leader then alleged that the state government employees and healthcare beneficiaries could not claim medical re-imbursement for their expenses incurred in private hospitals due to suspension of empanelment.
Also, while criticisng the new rule, Non-Governmental Hospital Association of Mizoram and an Aizawl based Association for Voluntary Blood Donation (AVBD) asked the state government to put in place the old rule again so that private hospitals and patients face no inconveniences. They also said that the new rule, if put in force for a long time, will result in loss of many lives due inability to receive blood in time.
Meanwhile, the state government denied that the rule is an attempt to restrict private hospitals in obtaining blood bags.
Deputy secretary of the Health department, Lalngura Tlau said that the rule neither seeks to restrict private hospital nor it is an attempt to force them to implement government healthcare scheme. He also said that the rule was being put into force to streamline distribution of blood bags against the existing rule as per which blood bags are issued by officials of blood banks on their own.
