Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/09/stories/2006100917420100.htm
<table width="800"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="448">`Urgent need to provide health insurance cover to the people'
Calls for collective action to overcome crisis
</td></tr></tbody></table>
Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has termed `callous' the Government stand on public health issues.
In an article released for publication here on Sunday, Mr. Chandy said the manner in which the Government had handled the chikungunya outbreak and its failure to get moving were a shame on the State.
Although 2.22 lakh persons in Karnataka, 1.86 lakh persons in Maharashtra and 50,000 persons in Andhra Pradesh were affected, not a single death on account of the disease had been reported from any of these States.
On the contrary, Kerala was passing through a situation unheard of in the recent past.
Around 50,000 persons had contracted the disease and over 100 persons had lost their lives.
The worst affected Alappuzha district presented a war-like situation with people fleeing from their homes, schools and colleges remaining closed and even courts not functioning.
The situation called for response on a war-footing, but the Government failed miserably in doing precisely that, Mr. Chandy said.
The Opposition Leader pointed out that instead of taking steps to prevent the spread of the disease and avert loss of lives, the attempt of the LDF Government has been to find fault with its predecessor.
The UDF Government had done its bid to offer protection to the people by chalking out a scheme under the Union Health Insurance Scheme with very low premium commitment. Originally, the Centre had permitted only public sector insurance companies to participate in the scheme. The State had lobbied with the Centre for permission to involve ICICI Lombard in the scheme at a premium of Rs.99 a family.
Although the Centre has now allowed all States to involve private insurance companies also in the scheme, the LDF Government was engaged in a bid to scuttle it, he alleged.
Mr. Chandy claimed that around 25 lakh families in the State would benefit from the scheme.
Given the repeated outbreak of diseases such as leptospirosis, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya, there was an urgent need to provide health insurance cover to the people. If the LDF Government can come up with a better insurance scheme, everybody would welcome it.
The State had overcome the trauma wrought by tsunami through concerted action. The chikungunya outbreak called for a similar collective action.
http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/09/stories/2006100917420100.htm
<table width="800"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="448">`Urgent need to provide health insurance cover to the people'
Calls for collective action to overcome crisis
</td></tr></tbody></table>
Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has termed `callous' the Government stand on public health issues.
In an article released for publication here on Sunday, Mr. Chandy said the manner in which the Government had handled the chikungunya outbreak and its failure to get moving were a shame on the State.
Although 2.22 lakh persons in Karnataka, 1.86 lakh persons in Maharashtra and 50,000 persons in Andhra Pradesh were affected, not a single death on account of the disease had been reported from any of these States.
On the contrary, Kerala was passing through a situation unheard of in the recent past.
Around 50,000 persons had contracted the disease and over 100 persons had lost their lives.
The worst affected Alappuzha district presented a war-like situation with people fleeing from their homes, schools and colleges remaining closed and even courts not functioning.
The situation called for response on a war-footing, but the Government failed miserably in doing precisely that, Mr. Chandy said.
The Opposition Leader pointed out that instead of taking steps to prevent the spread of the disease and avert loss of lives, the attempt of the LDF Government has been to find fault with its predecessor.
The UDF Government had done its bid to offer protection to the people by chalking out a scheme under the Union Health Insurance Scheme with very low premium commitment. Originally, the Centre had permitted only public sector insurance companies to participate in the scheme. The State had lobbied with the Centre for permission to involve ICICI Lombard in the scheme at a premium of Rs.99 a family.
Although the Centre has now allowed all States to involve private insurance companies also in the scheme, the LDF Government was engaged in a bid to scuttle it, he alleged.
Mr. Chandy claimed that around 25 lakh families in the State would benefit from the scheme.
Given the repeated outbreak of diseases such as leptospirosis, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya, there was an urgent need to provide health insurance cover to the people. If the LDF Government can come up with a better insurance scheme, everybody would welcome it.
The State had overcome the trauma wrought by tsunami through concerted action. The chikungunya outbreak called for a similar collective action.
If the Government, people's organisations and various other institutions come together, the State would be able to overcome the crisis, he said.