Vik-Run Foundation based here has decided to offer free legal services against over-billing of Covid-19 treatment and start a scholarship programme for students who have lost their parents or are in financial stress because of the pandemic.

The foundation’s decision to address these two core issues which have hit Covid-19 patients badly stems from real life experiences the foundation’s volunteers have come across.

“I was in Siliguri for my grandmother’s treatment when I came across Nim Doma Lama who told me that a hospital was not only overcharging patients but was negligent in treating her mother Bijaya Rai. It is then that our team decided to take up legal issues,” said Vikram Rai, founder of the foundation, which has been distributing free oxygen cylinders, concentrators and other Covid-related aid for months.

The foundation has started the free legal service christened Covisupport and the project has been dedicated to Bijaya Rai, who ultimately lost her battle to Covid-19.

Bijaya’s daughter Nim Doma is leading the campaign.

“My mother was hospitalised for more than a fortnight. The hospital used to say she was stable but ultimately, we ended up spending more than Rs 8.5 lakh and we found that there was negligence in the treatment. After more than a fortnight, we were advised to take my mother home and we had to shift her to another hospital,” said Nim Doma.

There are allegations that the private nursing home in Siliguri did not even treat “bed sore” properly and is allegedly not “a designated Covid hospital”.

The foundation is being helped by a team of nine lawyers, four stationed in Darjeeling and five in Siliguri.

Priya Darshini Pandit, a lawyer attached to the project, said Vik-Run Foundation had approached their team and they immediately decided to offer free legal service “or else we are not humans during these times”.

The team plans to approach the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Commission and state medical council, apart from approaching both civil courts like consumer forum and also pursue the matter in criminal court as an FIR has been lodged against the private hospital in Siliguri.

Apart from the legal help, the foundation has also started a project called Siksha Sahara to help students who have lost “their parents to Covid-19” and people who have exhausted their earnings in Covid-19 treatment.

“We are collating data from different areas which we intend to compile from September 1 onwards. The headmasters association are helping us,” said Rai.

Some private schools in Darjeeling have promised to help the foundation.

Darjeeling district has till date reported 453 deaths from Covid while 37 people have died in Kalimpong district.