Cashless treatment for acid-attack victims in UP

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to provide victims of acid attacks cashless treatment at state government hospitals, including the super speciality centres, as a gesture aimed at providing succour to them.

According to officials of the Women Welfare Department, the facility of cashless treatment would provided at the five medical college hospitals as well as the super speciality Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences.

“Treatment for acid attack is very costly, and in many cases it was found that the victims could not get themselves treated as they were not in a position to afford it,” said a senior official. He said lack of treatment completely breaks the victims' morale. “Many a time, such victims are also abandoned by their families. They are forced to live with the scars throughout their lives,” he said.

Though there were a few voluntary organisations extending some help to acid-attack victims, such efforts reach only a tiny percentage of them.

The government has released Rs 2 crore to meet the expenses incurred for the treatment of the victims.  Necessary directives have been issued in this regard, said the officials. In the first phase, this facility would be extended to only those bestowed with the Rani Luxmibai Award here a few days ago.