New Delhi: A Delhi based NGO has written to the L-G saying that the recent scheme of the Delhi government to provide free MRI scan raises questions on patients coming from neighbouring states. The NGO, Social Jurist, has pointed out that over “40 per cent of the patients (most of them are very poor) come to Delhi government hospitals from states like Bihar, UP, Rajasthan, Orissa, etc. hoping that they would get non-discriminatory medical treatment.”
Social Jurist seeks that these services be available without any restrictions.
Citing newspaper reports, the NGO said, “The Delhi government has tied up with eight private diagnostic centres across the city to provide free MRI and CT scan facilities to Delhiites earning less than 3 lakhs annually. The scheme is restricted to people who have lived in the city for at least three years, even though Delhi government hospitals receive around 40 per cent of patients from neighbouring states.”
In its letter, the NGO said, “We appreciate the decision of Delhi government to provide free MRI and CT scan facilities through eight private diagnostic centres across the city for the poor patients. However, the decision of Delhi government to restrict these facilities to the people who have lived in the city for at least three years is totally unconstitutional, illegal, unjust, discriminatory and unreasonable.”
