Govt won't take over MEDISEP; want help of insurance companies, says Finance Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister KN Balagopal said that the government cannot take over and run the MEDISEP scheme through the State Insurance Department. He said that the scheme can only be continued with the support of insurance companies.

The minister expressed his stance at a meeting of service organization representatives convened to discuss the continuation of MEDISEP. He stated that the Insurance department lacks the infrastructure and basic facilities necessary for implementing MEDISEP. The minister also assured that MEDISEP will not be imposed on the employees.

The majority of organizations present at the meeting emphasized that MEDISEP should be continued. The ruling party organizations recognized the benefits and accomplishments of the scheme, while the opposition party organizations suggested that the scheme should be continued after resolving the existing complaints and issues.

The Secretariat Association demanded that the MEDISEP scheme should not continue without government share and by excluding major hospitals. Instead, it should be implemented with a 75% government share. The Joint Council argued that there is a feeling that the government is backing away from the scheme. Most organizations pointed out that there are major flaws in the implementation of the scheme.