Insurance scheme for organ transplant treatment under consideration: Chief Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the Kerala Assembly that the government is considering a special insurance scheme to cover the cost of treatment related to organ donation. He said the government is not in a position to bear the entire treatment cost, as the current financial assistance limit is Rs 3 lakh. This is why the possibility of introducing an insurance scheme is being examined.

The Chief Minister said that between 2016 and 2021, Rs 5,715.92 crore was disbursed from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, including medical assistance. From 2021 to 2026, Rs 2,569.15 crore has been allocated so far. He added that the government does not have details about the funds collected by the Congress and the Muslim League for building houses for those affected by the Chooralmala natural disaster. He said there was an initial understanding that houses would be built under government leadership, but the parties later withdrew from that plan.

The Chief Minister also said that the government aims to launch 2,500 enterprises in the next five years through the Chief Minister’s Entrepreneurship Development Programme. So far, 2,963 enterprises have been started across the state under the scheme. Loans worth Rs 1,286.96 crore have been provided, creating 87,440 jobs. Of the beneficiaries, 1,374 are women.

Wages for work done by prisoners is constitutional principle
The Chief Minister said that paying fair wages for the work done by prisoners is a constitutional principle. He explained that wages were revised based on the recommendation of the prison department head, as there had been no change in the rates for the past seven years and a timely, scientific revision was needed. He also noted that the Supreme Court has directed that the fixation of wages should be reasonable and humane.

The Chief Minister further said that the Supreme Court had directed the framing of legislation to ensure that a portion of prisoners’ wages is paid as compensation to victims in the respective cases. In line with this directive, the Victim Compensation provisions have been revised.