Common man in a bind post note ban

​Khammam: Demonetisation has been causing severe inconvenience to the common man. The members of public are breathing fire at the Centre for taking the high-value notes off the circulation.

The sight of people in serpentines queues in front of bank branches from 6 am onwards to get old notes exchanged has become common.

Patients undergoing treatment in hospitals – government as well as private – have been facing problems for want of lower denomination notes, especially Rs 100. Private hospitals have been refusing to accept banned notes, contrary to government’s diktat.

The banks are charged with not making appropriate arrangements for the thronging public. Women standing in queues have been facing severe problems.

People from neighbouring Nalgonda and Warangal are forced to go to Khammam to receive treatment in over 100 specialty hospitals.

Against the backdrop of hospitals refusing to accept high-value banned notes, the patients are facing problems as the withdrawl of money is limited to Rs 2,500. Several patients have postponed their treatment following the note ban.

Even pharmacies of various hospitals are refusing to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes compounding the problems of patients. People are not able to purchase medicines from medical shops except one or two which accept the credit and debit cards.

Speaking about the problem, Sangameswar of Konizerla while talking to The Hans India said patients suffering from dengue and diabetes visiting diagnostic centres did not know whom to turn to represent their case.

Bevara Gowri Sankar of the city told The Hans India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have banned the high-value notes only after ensuring that sufficient number of smaller denomination notes was made available in the market.

People are expressing anguish over inaccessibility to medical services and essential commodities in the light of demonetisation.