Endosulfan victims to be given cashless treatment in 15 private hospitals: Dr Arun Kumar

Endosulfan victims to be given cashless treatment in 15 private hospitals: Dr Arun Kumar

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Jan 18, 2014: Endosulfan victims will be made available with cashless advanced medical care in specialty hospitals and medical colleges in Dakshina Kannada district very soon said Dr Arun Kumar, Nodal officer for endosulfan rehabilitation.

Speaking at the meeting convened by deputy commissioner AB Ibrahim and zilla panchayat CEO Tulsi Maddinani at DC Office on Jan 18, Saturday, Dr Arun Kumar said that the district health and family welfare department will sign MoU with more than 15 speciality hospitals and medical colleges including KMC, Fr Muller Medical College, AJ Hospital and Research Centre, KSHEMA and KVG Medical College and commence cashless treatment process for the endosulfan victims after distributing them with identity cards.

 

He also said that the endosulfan rehabilitation centre has identified as many as 2,484 victims and identity cards will be distributed to them from Jan 25. The victims will be distributed with three different types of cards based on the severity of the disability. The identity card will include details such as nature and percentage of disability, photo, address, details of Aadhar Card and BPL card. The victims who require specialized medical care can also avail it from the listed private speciality hospitals and medical colleges without paying hospital fee, he added.

Human rights activist Nithyananda Pai urged the department to provide permanent care centre for endosulfan victims for those who are bed-ridden.

He also said that around 6,000 persons are affected due to endosulfan in the district and nearly 10 percent of them are severely affected and bed-ridden, hence there is necessity of medical, paramedical and other facilities provided in a permanent care centre.

DC Ibrahim directed officials to conduct a survey to identify bed-ridden endosulfan victims and seek the opinion of parents if they would be willing to send their kins to permanent care centre. So that convenient place will be identified to set up a permanent care centre for the victims.

Activists Nithyananda Pai and Peer Mohammed said that pregnant women in endosulfan affected regions needs to undergo ultrasound scanning to find anomalies in foetus, hence the district administration must sanction permission for private radiology centres in Puttur and other regions to conduct free scanning for pregnant women.

CEO Tulsi Maddinani directed officials to have tie-up with scanning centres to provide free scanning facilities to pregnant women residing in the region.