GUWAHATI, March 7 � AIUDF MLA Sheikh Shah Alam today called upon the State government to keep a tab on private hospitals and accused that many such institutions were fleecing the common people.
Speaking during the debate on the �Motion of Thanks� on the Governor�s address in the Legislative Assembly, Alam said that while on one hand most of the public sector hospitals and health centres are in a very poor condition, on the other many private hospitals charge exorbitant rates from patients.
He said that many private hospitals and nursing homes force patients to buy medicines from their own dispensaries and charge many times the MRP.
�There is no regulation of private hospitals,� he said, urging the State government to keep a strict vigil on them.
Alam said that while the Central government has decided to increase the number of seats in medical colleges across the country by 10,000, Assam is likely to lose out on account of the fact that there are very few medical colleges in the State.
�The government should ensure that we get adequate number of additional seats in colleges here as well,� he said.
The AIUDF MLA said that while the Governor�s speech refers to steps being taken for bringing administration reforms, in reality bureaucratic red-tapism continues to plague the State.
�The reality is that even getting some minor work done takes ages. There is a need to change the process of sanction, tender and billing,� Alam said.
He said that despite talks about growth in agriculture, Assam continues to be at the bottom of the list nationally with regard to food production, fisheries and irrigation.
