The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) approved a request to reimburse the medical expenses incurred outside of Gujarat for a cancer patient owing to a lack of facilties in the state.
An official in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s account department had brain tumour cancer. Since there was no provision for protein therapy in Gujarat, the official had to undergo treatment in Tamil Nadu, incurring an expense of Rs. 32.63 lakhs. For case, 60% of the expenses have been approved under the instructions of the AMC’s health officer, who led a three-member committee.
An AMC official told the Vibes of India, “Protein therapy is not available anywhere in Gujarat. Therefore, this employee had to go to South India. Since such treatment is not available in Gujarat, we have approved a reimbursement of 60% of the expenses.”
It was the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute’s Radiotherapy department that recommended protein therapy.
On June 21, 2023, an official of the AMC applied to the Municipal Commissioner, stating that the expenses for their treatment amounted to Rs. 32.63 lakhs.
Taking into consideration the well-being of the official’s small children and family, they requested a reimbursement of 50% or maximum expenses.
In response, a committee was formed on June 30, 2023, to scrutinise the expenses. The committee comprised a Health Officer, a cancer treatment expert, the Superintendent of SVP Hospital, and the Dean of NHL Medical College.
On August 14, 2023, the committee approved the expenses as a special case.
This matter was also brought to the attention of the state government’s Health and Family Welfare Department.
Also read: Record Deal For Ahmedabad Plot, Though Realty Market Still Weak
