Why deny insurance to private doctors?: Raj

Urges CM to act on all applications

As complaints by families of private doctors, who lost their lives while treating COVID-19 patients, being denied ₹50 lakh insurance cover rise, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday questioned the sensitivity of the State government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

“The reason being given for denial is that the doctor was in private service. How can the State government deny the insurance cover at a time when the Central government has extended the benefits? Isn’t it insensitivity? How can the government, which is reminding doctors of their responsibility, forget its own?” he asked in a letter to the Chief Minister.

The MNS chief said that applications from doctors and other professionals from health sectors should be immediately acted upon. “I request you to personally look into the matter and order the officials concerned to act irrespective of whether the doctor is from government or private sector,” he said.

He said following the increasing stress on the public health system, the State government had given directions to private doctors, hospitals and pathology labs to continue working. “Private doctors and other medical professionals continued working, showing their commitment to the profession,” he said.

Mr. Thackeray’s letter comes a day after Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut wrote about ‘brand Thackeray’ in his column in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana. The column is seen as a signal from the Sena to mend fences with the MNS.