Mizoram issues bank cheque to clear pending healthcare bills

AIZAWL: Mizoram government on Friday issued Rs 39.26 crore bank cheque to clear pending healthcare bills, an official statement said.

Health secretary Esther Lalruatkimi issued the bank cheque for 11,046 beneficiaries, it said.

The bank cheque will be deposited at Mizoram Rural Bank (MRB), which will credit the money to beneficiaries's account from next week, it said.

After the issuance of Rs. 39.26 crore, only healthcare bills for February and March are pending for release but it is under process, the statement said.

Earlier on Tuesday, chief minister Lalduhoma had informed the the state assembly that the government had released Rs. 50 crore to clear pending healthcare bills amounting to about Rs. 45 crore.

He had said that the Mizo National Front (MNF) government allocated Rs. 60 crore for clearing healthcare bills during the fiscal 2023-24 and released Rs. 35 crore last year.

He said that another Rs. 15 crore was again released for clearing pending healthcare bills soon after the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) came to power and formed the government in December last year.

The ZPM government in December last year allocated Rs. 40 crore for clearing pending healthcare bills.

Taken together Rs. 10 crore, which is the balance out of Rs. 60 crore allocated by the previous government and Rs. 40 crore allocated by the current government, Rs 50 crore was released by the government on Tuesday.

Healthcare bill was one of the major political issues before the assembly polls in 2023.

The MNF government headed by former chief minister Zoramthanga drew severe flaks from different quarters as it failed to pay pending healthcare bills.

Lalduhoma had also said that the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government will introduce a new healthcare scheme by scrapping the existing scheme.

During a general discussion on the state's budget on Tuesday, Lalduhoma had said that the proposed new healthcare scheme will provide health insurance to beneficiaries on cashless basis for treatment at hospitals.

He had said that the existing Mizoram state health care scheme introduced by Zoramthanga led Mizo National Front (MNF) government in 2019 will be abolished.

The new healthcare scheme, which is being developed, will be much better than the existing healthcare scheme, he had said.