Poet and lyricist Vairamuthu has urged the Government not to impose taxes while importing medical equipment so as to help hospitals serve the poor at a nominal rate.

Inaugurating the Park-In Nest, an independent society to serve people affected by Parkinson’s disease at the Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital (KMCH) in Coimbatore here on Wednesday, Vairamuthu said: “Private hospitals are forced to pay up to 300 per cent as tax money, the burden of which falls directly on the patients. If tax is exempted for such items, it would help the hospitals to serve the society better,” said the poet.

Commenting on the lack of provisions for hygiene in the Union Budget, Vairamuthu stated that with more demand the allotted fund would always remain deficit.

Vairamuthu urged private hospitals to provide treatment at a low cost to the poor and treat people from all class and financial backgrounds equally.

“Medicine should never be partial and it should be distributed equally to all. The last citizen should receive the same treatment as the first citizen,” he opined.

Lauding the efforts of the medical fraternity, which has helped in the development of technology in the field of medicine, Vairamuthu said that people should celebrate those behind it.

Vairamuthu earlier released a book named ‘Parkinson’s Disease – A Guide’, jointly authored by Dr. V. Arul Selvan and Dr A. Brammatha