Govt hospitals in Himachal to charge Rs 10 as registration fees

Shimla, Jun 4 (PTI) Patients seeking medical consultation in government hospitals across Himachal Pradesh will have to pay a fees of Rs 10 at the time of registration, according to a statement.
     According to the notification issued by the Health Department on Monday, Rogi Kalyan Samities have been authorised to levy user charges on need basis to strengthen and improve the services like sanitation, hygiene and maintenance of infrastructure and equipment.
     "A consultation fee of Rs 10 would be charged from all patients at the time of registration,", the statement read.
     Earlier, registrations and consulations were provided free of cost to the patients.
     Following the statement, former chief minister Jairam Thakur slammed the Sukhu-led government and said, "There is nothing left on earth on which the Sukhu government has not imposed tax".
     In a statement issued, Thakur said that the Congress government has crossed all limits in imposing tax. The journey which started with toilet tax has now reached the washrooms of the patient admitted in the hospital.
     "The orders of the Sukhu government to collect money from every sick person when he reaches the hospital for treatment in an emergency situation, speaks volumes of the helpless condition prevailing in the state," he said.
     Terming the order as "anti-people and inhuman", he asked the government to withdraw it.
     "The Union government is providing free treatment through health schemes to benefit the people while the Sukhu government is snatching basic rights of the people. The government believes in charging fees and not in providing facilities," Thakur claimed.
     He further alleged that there are no doctors available in the hospitals, the X-ray machine doesn't work, no lab technicians are available and yet the government continues to impose charges.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)