Health Minister K.K. Shylaja’s office has described as baseless the allegations of Minister submitting fake medical bills for reimbursement.
The Minister’s office said in a release here on Friday that reimbursement claims were submitted as per the rules which specify that Ministers could claim medical expenses for them as well as their family members.
There were no hitches in reimbursing medical expenses of pensioners, the release said in reference to an allegation that the Minister had submitted claims of her husband too. Former Chief Ministers and Ministers had claimed the medical expense of their spouse who were retired employees.
Ms. Shylaja said that she had not availed herself of any treatment from a private hospital after assuming office of a Minister and had not sought any reimbursement. Her husband had sought the services of a private hospital for follow-up.
There was a false campaign that she had sought reimbursement for the food bills too. Hospitals now have a system of issuing a combined bill and the private hospital that treated her husband too issued such a bill. No application had been furnished for reimbursing the bill and it had not been cleared too. Hence, it was excluded while reimbursing the bill.
The Minister said that no bill had been submitted in the name of her mother who was no more. She challenged those who accused her of furnishing fake bills to prove their charges.
The Minister said that the spectacles were selected as prescribed by the doctor and the entire campaign was aimed at maligning the government’s image and defaming her.
