ICICI Lombard in Amravati

ICICI Lombard in Amravati
This has reference to ‘A parasite, ICICI Lombard chose Centre’s schemes to suck govt money’ (July 3). During our research last year on different models of providing micro-health insurance in Vidarbha, we came across irregularities in the implementation of the RSBY in Amravati. The scheme was working well in other districts of Vidarbha, but villagers in Amravati reported that they were not being treated by hospitals when they went there with the RSBY card. Compared to other districts, we had found that the awareness regarding RSBY was much higher in Amravati villages. There were people who had taken treatment under RSBY in the previous years and needed hospital health care again in the family. But they could not use their cards. They had to spend thousands of rupees for health care on their own. On investigating, we found out why the Amravati hospitals were reluctant in treating RSBY patients, whereas in other districts, their counterparts were going out of their way to attract such patients. Since ICICI Lombard took over, it started giving much less reimbursement to the hospitals for the treatment given. The rates for different types of treatment were fixed, but on some pretext or the other, ICICI Lombard would reduce the final settlement amount. Hospitals started incurring losses and thus they slowly stopped treating such patients. The loss was for RSBY beneficiaries but the gain was ICICI Lombard’s. The company collected all the premiums from the government for thousands of card holders and then ensured that no one used the insurance. Thus the company did not have to pay back much in terms of claims settlement. It was like undertaking a 100% profit venture at the cost of those who were badly in need of health care. ICICI Lombard should be made to close down for doing such things.
—Alka Parikh, via e-mail

Soothing to the eyes
Salman  Ansari has given a visual treat to the readers of DNA by capturing the peacocks in a beautiful posture. The catchline ‘Come hither mate’ was most appropriate for the picture. The peacock is a monsoon bird and its dance (with the spread feathers) signify the coming of the rains. A picture speaks more than words. I hope DNA will provide more such beautiful pictures which will soothe the readers’ mind.
—Indira Satyanarayan, via e-mail

We’re shocked
This has reference to ‘In for counselling, scarred for life’ (June 28). The Bombay Psychiatric Society is shocked by the way the information on ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) has been misrepresented in this article. The ECT remains one of the most effective, safe and scientific treatment in the field of psychiatry. Any confusing or misleading information from the media creates dilemma for the patient and his family. This treatment is the only option in certain cases. The contentious issues in this article are: 1) Controversial therapy (There have been worldwide calls to ban it: It is not banned in India.) The research data and global clinical experience of more than 75 years provide proof of its scientific utility, safety and cost effectiveness. It is used all over the world, including the advanced countries where treatment protocols are stringent. Often, it is the best treatment option in a crisis situation and the only option in a psychiatric emergency. 2) The use of electro-shock therapy: the technical term used is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) because there is a lot of stigma associated with the word ‘shock’ which factually is a misnomer. ECT involves the use of current to induce convulsions in a controlled manner under anaesthesia and the improvement is a result of the convulsions and not the current (shock). No damage to the brain is reported because of the treatment conducted in a scientific manner. Current is used in modern medicine for many reasons as a part of treatment. Use of shock through defibrillator to revive a heart which has stopped beating and electrocautery during surgery are two such examples. 3) The article is accompanied by an illustration which is in bad taste and adds to the misrepresentation. Such graphic misrepresentation only reflects the thoughtless approach, unmindful of the damage that can be done to a field and a treatment modality which is struggling with stigma at every level.
—Dr Shobha Nair, Bombay Psychiatric Society

90 in the Nineties
Having dedicated a page with 90 photos of 90% scorers, in my opinion, was an utterly harmful idea. It served no purpose for your regular readers because it took away a full page of news from them. In any case, they are not the only kids in the city who scored 90% marks. Why do you want to instigate a race among them to get their photos featured in their favourite newspaper? Moreover, and most importantly, don’t you think it would induce an envious feeling among the children who scored less than 90%? By the way, isn’t 89 a good score? I would have been writing an appreciation letter to you if you had come up with 90 photos of differently-abled kids who passed the SSC.
— Anup Pandey, via e-mail

Cars for MLAs
This has reference to ‘MLAs can use public fund to buy cars in UP’ (July 4). Allowing MLAs and MLCs to buy a vehicles costing up to Rs20 lakh from their local area development fund (LAD) for personal use and raising the LAD from Rs25 lakh to Rs1.5 crore is daylight robbery of public money. As the report specifies, buying cars worth Rs20 lakh for the state’s 403 MLAs and 100 MLCs would cost the state exchequer a whopping Rs100 crore. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s argument that it is not a compulsion on anyone and the idea is to provide mobility to MLAs who can’t buy a vehicle makes one laugh. The affidavits submitted by the MLAs and MLCs to the Election Commission before their election could easily establish that they are rich enough. Even if we accept that some of them are financially unable to buy a car, and if it is
essential for them, there is the Tata Nano which can be bought in Rs2 lakh. But when the intention is to gift a premium luxury car costing around Rs20 lakh at the taxpayer’s cost, who will be so foolish not to avail the golden opportunity? The young UP chief minister has disappointed us in a big way.   
— MC Joshi, Lucknow