Dilly-dallying by NIB over sick benefit claim

THE EDITOR: I am seeking your help in trying to collect some sickness benefit claim from NIB. You see, I have worked with NP for 15 years, and I paid all my NIB contributions but I never made any claims. I am now employed with SWMCOL as a Class 5 driver. Last year September 25, I got a severe heart attack and was warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital for five days. Having exhausted all my sick leave I was only being paid  one-third of my salary. I got the doctor to fill the necessary forms and my company sent it in to NIB. After about three months they sent back the forms stating that my name was wrong. After running up and down with my sick condition, I got the doctor to fill over the forms, we again sent it in. They kept the forms another three months and sent it back saying it was the wrong forms. I again had to run up and down to meet the doctors to get the forms filled over. By this time I was diagnosed with cardiac problems. All my arteries are clogged.

It ran into ten months all the forms were prepared and sent in early July. I have gone to them no less than five times, my company has gone in personally and also called them over 50 times. We keep getting a lot of run around. Every time I go there I meet a different clerk and it is a different story. They told the company the cheque was ready. I went there on Monday November 3, 2003 to be told by the clerk that I had already gotten eight weeks payment. I told her it is not true. I never received any money. I was told to wait. After about 20 minutes I was told the forms still had to go to the Medical Board. I am just fed up and frustrated. I have medicine to buy to avoid a next heart attack. I am owing bills. I am also owing three months rent, very soon I am going to be evicted, thanks to NIB.

When you go to NIB as a sick person the way you are treated and spoken to you get more sick. These people think you come to beg for charity. How could we be contributing to NIB and when we are sick we cannot get what is rightly ours? It is now 14 months and I am yet to receive what is rightly mine. The Government is saying they are going to raise the NIB from January, but something needs to be done immediately. If the Government is serious about corruption then they should start at NIB. I am warning the public, please don’t get sick and go to NIB for any claims because you may die and you won’t get one red cent.

Y DIAL NARINE
Barataria