BOKARO: Even as Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) has adopted cashless transactions in most of its units, shutting down cash dealings at Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) has irked many patients. Political parties, social groups and citizens are opposing the move, demanding the hospital authorities to keep provision for cash payments too.Poor people who do not have ATM cards are the worst-hit. The 910-bed BGH is the biggest hospital of the region and cater to patients from across the state. Shutting down of cash counters has sent them in a tizzy, forcing many patients to rely on private hospitals which have mushroomed in the city.In the past few months the hospital has seen protests against closing of cash counters. Several cadres of Rashtravadi Ispat Majdoor Sangh and Rashtravadi Congress Party staged demonstrations and dharnas outside the BGH. They demanded that cash counters be opened alongside counters for digital transactions for the convenience of the patients."When a patient comes to BGH he is refused treatment if he or she doesn't have ATM or credit cards. Poor people who rush to the hospital in case of emergencies often carry only cash. Both the options should be made available in hospital," said Ramayan Sharma, a cadre of RCP.BSL, a unit of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), has closed cash transactions at BGHn and Jawaharlal Nehru Biological Park joining the cashless drive launched by the government last year.Chief of communication, BSL, Manikant Dhan said: "The outdoor patient department (OPD) has been made cashless. We take an undertaking from kin of patients seeking admission at the hospital if they cannot pay by cards."

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