The Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) called for providing health insurance benefits to the journalists working in the region.
Wishing early recovery of two television journalists along with a print journalist, who are presently undergoing treatments in separate Guwahati hospitals, the forum said that the adoption of a comprehensive health insurance scheme for journalists is a need of the hour.
The forum said that it extends supports to the proposal forwarded by various journalists’ bodies to the state government for a comprehensive health insurance scheme for the benefit of all working journalists in Assam.
It may be noted that DY365 journalist Gautam Hazarika was admitted to GNRC Six-mile hospital after a brain stroke on August 15. Hazarika’s health condition continues to be critical. Another journalist from the same news channel, Jayanta Das, suffered heart problems and was admitted to the Hayat Hospital. He is undergoing treatment.
On the other hand, Amar Asom journalist Kushal Lahan was admitted to Apollo Hospital, Guwahati following a road accident in Meghalaya a few days back. Kushal shows some improvements in his condition but would need more days to return to normal life.
Urging Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal for sanctioning financial assistance to all three journalists for necessary treatments, the EMFA also appealed to media welfare organizations and individuals to contribute for the treatment of the ailing journalists.
The EMFA statement was signed by journalists Nava Thakuria, Paragmoni Aditya, Bhaskar Bhuyan, Bimal Ghosh etc.
