Health insurance scheme for journalists sought from Assam govt

The Journalists' Forum Assam (JFA) and Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) today appealed to the Assam government to immediately launch a comprehensive health insurance scheme for working journalists of the state and extend financial assistance to three ailing scribes.
Expressing worries over the serious health condition of three young scribes undergoing medical treatment in separate Guwahati-based hospitals, the JFA insisted that the state government immediately launch a comprehensive health insurance scheme for journalists of the state.
The three journalists are Gautam Hazarika and Jayanta Das of a news channel have been suffering from brain stroke and heart ailment and Kushal Lahan of a local newspaper met with an accident, the JFA and the EMFA said in a statement here.

Both the Forums urged chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to sanction necessary funds for the treatment of the three ailing journalists besides requesting media welfare organisations to contribute for their treatment.
"We also request the owners/managements of various newspapers and news channels of the state to extend support by starting contributory health insurance scheme for scribes at the earliest," said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria.
The EMFA in a another statement also extended support to the proposal forwarded by various scribes bodies to the state government for a comprehensive health insurance scheme for the benefit of all working journalists in Assam.

Urging the state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for sanctioning financial assistance to all three scribes for necessary medical treatment, the EMFA also appeal media welfare organizations and individuals of the region to contribute for treatment of the ailing journalists.