Minister bats for cashless treatment for poor

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil has said that cashless scheme for treatment should be made available to all the citizens across the state, particularly  people in rural areas.

Speaking after inaugurating the 1.5 tela magnet strength MRI machine at Kasturba Hospital in Manipal, the Minister said the universal health care service is the need of hour.

This measure will help people in rural areas to avail the most sophisticated health care services. Villagers cannot afford for costly diagnosis and there are no proper facilities in rural areas to guide the villagers over the available health care facilities.

Lamenting that doctors do not turn up to serve the rural areas, the minister stressed that the private medical colleges should also inculcate values that proposes the importance of serving people in rural areas. Shortage of budding doctors is the outcome of wrong decisions taken during the past. He stressed that there is a dire need to reconsider the policies and introduce measures that make rural servicemandatory  for doctors.

Earlier speaking to media persons on his arrival to KMC hospital, the Minister said a meeting will be held on September 19 with the revenue minister to discuss the shortcomings of the Form 9X11 of Panchayat Raj Rule and a decision will be taken at the earliest. Attempts will be made to raise the issue in the cabinet meeting on the very same day or else another meeting will be held on September 21 and steps will be taken to look into the possibilities of simplifying the procedure especially for the districts like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Uttar Kannada and Shimoga.

Retorting to another query over the shortage of village secretaries, Patil said the department will recruit staff in next two to three months.

Later interacting with students of the Manipal School of Communication, the Minister said the country since independence has focused only on developing certain infrastructures for those who govern the country.

Unfortunately, even after six decades of independence, people in rural areas are deprived of modern facilities enjoyed by affluent in urban areas. The country will only prosper when the quality of rural life improves.

He also said the government has taken up the task to stop all irregularities that take place in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.