Kala-azar patients in Bihar can look forward to monetary help from the state government. They would receive Rs 300 in addition to Rs 50 they get as wage compensation from the Centre under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

“Last year, chief minister Nitish Kumar had taken the decision that kala-azar patients in the state must be given some wage compensation from the state coffers. The decision was taken with the view that the disease mostly affects poor people who survive on daily wage. When the underprivileged are in the grip of the disease, they have to suffer more because of the loss of their daily wage. They cannot even bear the treatment expenditure. Hence, the state government wants to financially help kala-azar patients,” said health department secretary Sanjay Kumar. He added: “The programme has got approval of the chief minister. Kala-azar patients will get compensation wage with effect from April 1 this year.”

Sanjay said: “The decision of the state government to provide monetary help to kala-azar patients is commendable. There is a need of highlighting this ambitious programme so that patients can avail the benefit.”

According to the plan of the government, it would provide Rs 150 to the kala-azar patients and another Rs 150 to their attendants as wage compensation. This means kala-azar patients will be entitled to Rs 300 per day from the state government if they are hospitalised in addition to the Rs 50, which they get from the Union government under the NRHM.

According to estimates, over 25,000 kala-azar patients would benefit from the move. Over 750 people died of the disease in the past five years, while 76 people succumbed to the disease last year.

The state government’s decision to provide wage compensation to kala-azar patients is a part of the Mukhyamantri Kalaazar Rahat Yojana. Sources said chief minister Nitish Kumar has decided to provide Rs 10 crore from the chief minister’s relief fund for the programme.

The State Health Society in which this fund would be kept will open a separate bank account. The fund would be a revolving one. According to a source, in case 75 per cent of the fund is utilised, Rs 10 crore would be deposited. The civil surgeons would look after the allocation of the wage compensation money.

The medical officers of the primary health centres would be entrusted with the job of taking applications from the patients and sending it to the office of the civil surgeons concerned.

The civil surgeon’s office would check the facts and if it finds the patient to be genuine, it would give permission for the issuance of the wage compensation money to the patient and his attendant.