CoU Correspondent
While teachers and staff at Comilla University (CoU) have health insurance, students with serious illnesses are forced to sell property or collect donations to meet treatment costs.
Sazzad Hossain Sharif, a CoU student, has been suffering from “leukemia” for the last year. He sold land to pay for chemotherapy and underwent a bone marrow transplant two months ago at a cost of about Tk 20 million to Tk 25 million. Some of the money was collected from students and his department.
He still needs treatment costing Tk 80,000 to Tk 90,000 a month, while his father is taking loans from relatives to meet the expenses.
“If there was a health insurance facility at the university, the pressure would have been somewhat less,” Sazzad said.
Another student, Tasnim Haque Ananya, recently recovered from a cancer-related problem but still spends Tk 60,000 a month on medicines. Her father sold land meant for building a house to meet her treatment costs, while classmates collected donations from different universities.
“If there was health insurance at the university, I would not have had to face such economic pressure,” she said.
Despite two decades of existence, CoU has not introduced health insurance for students. However, according to university administration sources, CoU and Pragati Life Insurance Limited signed a temporary life insurance contract for teachers and officers-employees on November 10, 2022.
On December 29 last year, the university administration and Zenith Islami Life Insurance Limited signed a life and health insurance contract for teachers and officers-employees in the presence of then Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Haider Ali. The administration assured that student health insurance would be introduced at Tk 100 per semester.
Nine months later, however, no visible activity has been seen towards launching the scheme.
Mansura Afrin of the Department of Public Administration said sudden medical expenses could put students from middle- and lower-middle-class families under severe financial pressure.
Health insurance for students is already available at Dhaka University, Rajshahi University and Jahangir University.
At DU, students pay a one-time premium of Tk 270 and receive benefits of up to Tk 50,000 a year for treatment at listed hospitals, with a Tk 100,000 death benefit. At RU, the annual premium is Tk 250. At JU, students pay Tk 390 a year, with coverage of up to Tk 120,000 for treatment at listed hospitals, Tk 10,000 without hospitalisation and Tk 200,000 in case of death.
Students are demanding a similar scheme at CoU.
Mandira Das said, “Like DU, RU and JU, health insurance should also be available at Comilla University.”
Director of the Office of Student Counseling and Guidance Dr. Mohammad Julhas Uddin said, “We will inquire about this matter, analyse the information, and if it is possible to take an initiative, we will take it.”
Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Amzad Hossain Sarkar said, “An initiative was taken once regarding students’ health insurance. In that case, insurance companies showed some complications. We will talk again. If any company shows interest, we will work with them.” #EK
