The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Plea to drop compulsory health insurance scheme

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Sunday, May 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Plea to drop compulsory health insurance scheme

Staff Reporter

“Ascertain choice of employees”

PUDUKOTTAI: The Tamil Nadu Government Health Transport Department Employees’ Association has urged the state government to restore the responsibility of maintenance of ambulances and other emergency utility vehicles with the transport wing of the Health Department, as was in vogue till a few years ago.

A resolution adopted in this regard at the association’s state executive meeting held here on Saturday said that the state government had entrusted the responsibility of maintenance of the ambulances with the women members of self-help groups or non-governmental service organisations.

The good intention of the state government in doing so was more in breach than in practice, the resolution said.

In many cases, the resolution said, those in-charge of the ambulances collected ‘exorbitant service charges’ from the family members of the persons injured in some accident or other eventualities.

Another resolution urged the state government to dispense with the compulsory health insurance scheme being implemented now.

Although a number of employees preferred re-imbursement of medical expenses from out of the Health Funds, the state government had made the health insurance scheme mandatory for the government staff.

The resolution suggested that the state government obtained an option, ascertaining every employee’s choice for the insurance scheme or re-imbursement.

The meeting also resolved to launch a stir throughout the state on June 10, protesting the rise in prices of essential commodities and demanding the rectification of anomalies in the recommendations of the VI Pay Commission.

The State president of the Association R. Balasubramanian, who presided over the meeting, said that the teachers associations would also participate in the state-wide stir.

The State general secretary R. Logidasan and the State Treasurer K. Nagarajan were among those who spoke.

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