• Claims it spent Rs 4.4 million for the treatment 24 people injured during the Madhes agitation

Kathmandu, April 15

Although the government has decided to bear the cost of medical expenses incurred by   people injured during the Madhes movement, the United Democratic Madhesi Front, which claims to have spent the money on behalf of injured, said it had not received any amount from the government till today.

Chandra Kant Jha, a member of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, who is also a member  of  the committee formed by the UDMF to provide medical help to people injured during Madhes movement, said the front spent a little  more than Rs 4.4 million for the treatment of 24 people who were admitted to health centres in Kathmandu.

He said the government had ordered release of Rs 3 million for the treatment of the injured. “We were told that the file relating to the government’s decision was still pending at the finance ministry,” he added.

According to Jha, the front was yet to pay 1.6 million rupees to various health centres in Kathmandu, where the injured had undergone treatment for their injuries.

According to Jha, three out of 24 injured succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu. Among other injured, all others except Bhogendra Yadav of Mahottari, have been discharged from hospital. Yadav, who suffered burn injuries, is still undergoing treatment at Sankhu-based Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital.

Out of 21 people who received treatment in Kathmandu, Mansi Raut Patel of Parsa, who was hit by bullet in the spinal cord,  suffered lifelong disability as he was paralysed below the waist. Shravan Kumar Jha of Saptari, who was hit by a bullet in his right foot, was amputated below the knee.

Member of Sadbhawana Party Rajesh Chaudhary, who is also the member secretary of the committee formed to provide medical help to the injured,  said the front had given the list of patients and details of their medical expenditure to the government. He said the front paid for the injured people but the government said it would provide money directly to the injured people.

The front has yet to collect the details of people who suffered injuries in the districts during the protest and details of their medical bills.

Spokesperson for the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Sarvendranath Shukla said his party received reports that employees of the district administration offices in the Tarai were not helping the injured people by sending the details of their injuries and medical bills to the government.

Spokesperson for home ministry Yadav Koirala said the government had already started reimbursing the medical expenses as per the bills provided by the injured people. He said the government was directly sending money to health centres.

Koirala said the home ministry had written to the finance ministry seeking release of additional amount for the treatment of injured. “We have yet to pay the medical expenses incurred by a few protesters and for this we have demanded money from the finance ministry,” Koirala said.