JAGATSINGHPUR: Patients suffering from different diseases await assistance under the Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF) besides other benefits under different Government-sponsored health programmes.
According to sources, as many as 50 critical patients, most of them suffering from cancer, had applied for Chief Minister Relief Fund more than three months back but there has been no response from the authorities concerned in this regard.
Lack of supervision and negligence besides frequent absence of district officials from their offices have been cited by the patients as reasons behind non-implementation of different schemes in the district.
A cancer patient, Manas Jena of Biritola village under Tirtol police limits said, “I am suffering from the dreaded disease for which I had applied for Rs 30,000 aid from CMRF in February. My document is in the Collector’s office since February and delay in sanction of funds for treatment is adding to my suffering.”
A social activist, Debendra Mallick, said, “it is unfortunate that cancer patients are being harassed due to delay in clearing files for sanction of CMRF. Applications of patients are lying in the Collector’s office since February.”
Contacted, Deputy Collector (emergency) Kalyan Saurabh Das said no CMRF has been sanctioned from March 11 as Model Code of Conduct was in force. Steps are being taken to provide necessary funds to the patients after going through the applications, he added.