Health Schemes

HEALTH is WEALTH has become Wealth for Others WEALTH

Birth and death is inevitable in the life circle of any person and it does not make any discrimination between poor and rich or on caste basis. It is we human beings make all groups amongst us within the span of Birth and death referred to as life. If we visit crematorium for few times, then we lose charm over life but still after few days we are back to normal fighting for our rights and expressing our desire to live, live and live longer. That is human tendency.

Many a times we alone are responsible for inviting health problems but the problem is cost factor in treating a disease as it does not discriminate as to whether  the  disease is self-inflicted or  the one that came in the normal course of life circle. It is here the roll of the State assumes significance.

Art.21 of our Constitution mandates:

“No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.”

The Hon’ble Supreme Court expanded the scope of Art.21 by ruling way back in year 1991 in the case of Bandhua Mukti Morcha vs. Union of India as under:

“Right to live with human dignity enshrined in Art.21 derives its life, breath from Directive Principles of State Policy and particularly clauses (e) and (f) of Art.39 and Art.41 and 42 and the least, therefore, it must include protection of the health and strength of workers, men and women, and of the tender age of children against abuse, opportunities and facilities for children to develop in a health manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity, educational facilities, just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief. These are the minimum requirements which must exist in order to enable a person to live with human dignity and no State- neither the Central Government nor any State Government- has the right to take any action which will deprive a person of the enjoyment of these basic essentials”

What the State and the Central Government have done in these 28 years after 1991? More and more schemes are introduced which are supposed to help the poor but at the same time prices of medicine and medical bills have been raising unchecked as a result persons not covered under  any of the schemes have to blame the stars for their health failure. Health industry has become a business where persons unconnected with medical profession invest crores and crores of rupees in establishment of most sophisticated hospitals not with an intention to serve the society but to grab maximum from the family of person utilising their services. If an individual or group of persons can set up such multiple hospitals in a several cities including even in District Head Quarters, why can’t the Government step in with similar projects?

When Shri. Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, he commented “In India roads do not have pot holes, it is the pot holes that have roads”. So saying, he did not stop at that and proceeded to introduce the famous Golden Quadrilateral Scheme through which all national highways across the Country were upgraded to international standard. The huge financial requirement for the scheme were met with  very simple un pinching methods. Just 2% cess was introduced on all petroleum products and crores of rupees generated were specifically earmarked not merely for national highways but even to rural roads. Further, cost of road construction and its maintenance were given under BOAT scheme under which Government will initially be only seeing the developments and after the expiry of fixed term of contract will actually be enjoying the fruits of the said development. In other words, people unknowingly contributed towards cost of acquisition for road formation and roads were then constructed by entrepreneurs from their own funds which they were permitted to recover from road user through Toll after the roads became operational. In the process, Government ensured proper roads of international standard across the Country without spending a pie, business entrepreneurs made good business and the people got best of the roads undreamt by them. It is a win – win situation for all.

Why can’t similar projects be started even in health sector? Let Govt identify and provide to business entrepreneurs lands on rental basis for construction  of hospital under BOAT scheme that is with a condition to return the building in as is where is condition after a fixed term. Just like Govt has a say in amount of toll that can be collected, even in hospitals, Govt can reserve its right of fee fixation by having a committee of experts and social workers.

By following above procedure, well sophisticated hospitals can be constructed in every Assembly constituency. Govt can have a say in posting of Doctors to work in these hospitals as a result, services of Specialist Doctors can be utilised in multiple hospitals. This will eliminate shifting of patients from one corner of the city to the other as is happening now because all hospitals are indirectly controlled by the Government and as such Doctors can render their service in any and all  part of the City without being wedded to single group of Hospital as is happening now.

Our health has become wealth of the other, let us put an end to this exploitation.

1. India is a vast country with a population of over 1.324 billion. Unfortunately, majority of our people are below poverty line (BPL) as a result of which several social welfare schemes prevailing in the Country are aimed at helping them. No body can have any quarrel on these welfare measures.

2. The next big bunch of the population accounting to 39% are those working in organised sectors such as Industries, Banks, Judiciary and Offices both private and public. Their interest towards reimbursement of medical expenses spent on them and their family are taken care by their Employers not only during their period of service but even after retirement.

3. We then have Politicians whose interest is fully protected once they are elected to State Legislature or Parliament. To enjoy the fruits, they need not get elected again and again because the law made by them protects them even after they seize to be Hon’ble Members of Legislature or Parliament.

4. The only class are those belonging to upper middle class who are not employed in any of the organised sector and are self-reliant. In this category, thanks to Mediclaim policies introduced by various Insurance Companies, both private and public, there will be no difficulty for them too if they have taken appropriate policies but unfortunately, the Companies by pointing out small invisible sentences printed in the policies avoid their liability to a major extent even when cashless policies are taken. In my own case, I have taken Mediclaim policies every year right from day one and when I submitted a bill for Rs,96,000/- in the year 2014, I was reimbursed with just Rs.36,000/-. Being an Advocate I kept quiet because their action was sustainable due to what was written between the lines in small prints!

5. The worst category comes from senior citizens and who were not in any of the three groups mentioned supra. If these people have sufficient bank balance then there is no need for them to rely upon Medical policies and per contra, if the bank balance is NOT SUFFICIENT TO MEET UNFORESEEN EVENTUALITIES, then they will be at the mercy of friends and relatives as otherwise even their body will not be released by the Hospital. To overcome such unforeseen eventualities, it is true that they have to take proper Mediclaim policies. My experience shows that the premium payable for just Rs.5 Lakh policy is a staggering Rs.32,600/- and  I don’t think all senior citizens can afford this.

6. If a Senior Citizen does not have heavy bank balance and does not have a well-placed child to look after them then to meet hospital bills they will be compelled to dispose of their property. This will be the sorry state of affair of majority of senior citizens even if they lived a decent living without spending lavishly during their prime time, maintained good health all through, subscribed to medical policies regularly paying premium every year even when the benefit was not utilised at any point of time as major and not so major deceases approach them only at the evening of their life.

7. It is not merely a person belonging to BPL category or organised sectors but even a Senior Citizen has a right to life and the State has a duty to stand by them to give true meaning to Art.21 of the Constitution of India.

My suggestion: If a senior citizen has subscribed regularly to medical policies during the prime time of his life, then instead of increasing the premium on policies payable by senior citizens, proportionate discount be extended to him for the rest of his life and/or Medical Policies at very concessional rate be extended to Senior Citizens.

*Sent As a Letter to OUR Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modiji.*