Siliguri, 03rd November: Alleging not receiving benefits of Swasthya Sathi card despite the availability of treatment service in the nursing home, a family in Siliguri lodged a complaint at the police station and also wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressing their anguish.
Reportedly, on October 21, mason Paresh Barman sustained serious injuries after falling from the roof of a house near Devidanga while working. He was admitted to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital and the following day, he was transferred to a nursing home in Pradhan Nagar.
As per Barman’s relatives, before admitting him to the nursing home, they were warned by the management that they would not be accepting the Swasthya Sathi card. After which they had to deposit Rs 30,000 at the time of admission. The family members alleged that the nursing home management started demanding more money from them. Unable to meet the demands, the relatives contacted the helpline number of Swasthya Sathi card and were asked to send the nursing home bills. Adding to this, the nursing home refused to provide the bill. Helpless, the family lodged a written complaint with the Pradhan Nagar police station. Apart from this, a letter was also sent to the Chief Minister.
The patient’s relatives alleged that the nursing home denied discharging the patient until they deposited the dues. On the other hand, the District Magistrate of Darjeeling district S Ponnambalam assured to investigate the matter.