The Tripura government has increased in the fees charged for various diagnostic procedures and treatment in government hospitals in the state.
The health and family welfare department on Friday night through a notification, announced two-three-fold increase in the fees charged for treatment in government run hospital besides introducing new fees in some services.
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According to the notification, from now onwards the APL patients would have to pay a registration fee of Rs 20 in the government hospitals.
The ICU admission would cost Rs 600 for APL patients and Rs 400 for priority group patients. Histology and Sistology tests would cost Rs 863.
Besides, earlier out of 113 bio-chemical tests done in government hospitals, 74 tests could be done free of cost but now all these tests will entail heavy expenses.
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Kidney biopsy was earlier done free of cost but now it will entail an expense of Rs 1470 while the cost for gastro-enteric biopsy has been increased from Rs 400 to Rs 1950.
State health department sources said that due to financial crisis as well as to maintain standard of services, the government has decided to increase the fees in government run hospital.
Opposition CPI-M has slammed the state government for fees hike.
CPI-M leader and former health minister Badal Choudhury said that the state government is walking on the path of privatization.
“BJP government has planned to open doors for private parties in the health sector of the state,” Choudhury said.
He alleged that the BJP before coming to power had promised a lot but now the ruling party has taken complete u-turn.
Choudhury said fees for treatment have been increased in almost all services including pathological tests, food served in the hospital and for accommodation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“Till now there are no registration fees in the government hospitals of Tripura but the BJP government has imposed registration fees for the first time in all the hospitals of Tripura which are run by the government,” he alleged.