Allowance for endosulfan victims increased by 33%

Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shivanand S Patil has said that the state government has increased the monthly allowance for endosulfan victims by 33%.

He was speaking after distributing MRPL-sponsored aides and appliances for the differently abled and equipment for child care institutions here on Tuesday.

The minister said that elected representatives from the region had placed a representation to increase the monthly allowance. “With the hike implemented by the government, those with more than 60% disability will get around Rs 4,000 a month while those with 40% to 60% disability will get around Rs 2,000 a month,” Patil explained.

There was also a demand to implement the Kerala package of compensation for the endosulfan victims too.

When asked about the permanent rehabilitation facilities for endosulfan victims, the minister said that the government is exploring other facilities for the victims.

Patil said that the state government would merge the Ayushman Bharat scheme of the Centre and its own health assurance scheme, ‘Arogya Karnataka’, to provide health insurance to BPL families. “With this, the annual coverage of a family will be Rs 5 lakh. Ayushman Bharat is applicable to only 62 lakh beneficiary families which are currently under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). The remaining 58 lakh families will be covered under the Arogya Karnataka scheme,” he explained.

The minister added that merging of the schemes will benefit a total of 1.28 crore BPL families. “Further, about 30% of the expenditure of 20 lakh APL families will be borne by the state government,” he said.

Patil explained also that post 2014-15, the state government had not recruited doctors. “Now, the government has recruited 180 specialist doctors and 240 doctors along with 1618 ANMs in the state. With this, the shortage of doctors in government hospitals is likely to be solved,” he assured.

The government has introduced cochlear implant surgery for the needy free of cost, he informed.

Mangaluru City North MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty appealed to the minister to upgrade the primary health centre in Surathkal into a community health centre in order to cater to the industrial accidents.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that MRPL should attempt introducing skill training for those who have been disabled due to spinal cord dislocation. “The skill training will help such people to empower themselves,” he said and added, “There has been a decline in cases of disability by birth, but disability due to accidents is still on the rise.”

MRPL has donated equipment worth Rs 74 lakh – including fire extinguishers, TV sets, biometric hamsters, napkin burners, fans, washing machines, chairs, library books, cots, dining tables, benches, desks, office tables, book shelves and library cupboards – 71 child care institutes.

It has also donated aides and appliances worth Rs 1 crore to 1,093 differently abled persons. The aides and appliances include petrol-driven two-wheelers with retro-fit kits, hand-operated tricycles, wheelchairs, callipers, leg belts, wrist belts, hearing aids, surgical footwear, Braille canes, foot drop splints and water beds.

MRPL Group GM (HR) B H V Prasad, Group GM (Finance) S Bandyopadhyay, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil and others were present.