Shillong, Oct 29: BJP MLA and Health Minister, A. L. Hek has written a letter to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and highlighted problems being faced by Christian Missionaries and may others who are working in India.

“I am writing to you to bring to your kind notice the problems faced by Christian Missionaries and many others working in India, especially those who are undergoing treatment in hospitals. There have been many instances where there was a delay in the renewal of visa due to which many of Christian Missionaries have to face hardships and inconveniences,” Hek said.

Citing an instance, the Health Minister said that Fr. Fernando Fernandez Franco of Spanish nationality who is a member of the Society of Jesus and working in St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous) Ahmedabad, had to undergo surgery in SAL Hospital at Ahmedabad and was taken to the operation theater on September 19 this year.

“His surgery was however cancelled at the last hour due to absence of visa. This was despite the fact that he had applied for renewal of visa on June 28, 2018. Likewise there may be many patients who come for treatment to our country from abroad who face a similar situation. Such cases especially of patients receiving treatment should be treated on humanitarian grounds and the visa renewal process should be expedited or mechanism for automatic extension of visa should be done while they are admitted in hospital or during their course of treatment,” Hek said.

Hek also sought the intervention of the Prime Minister’s office to direct the concerned Ministries to expedite the clearance of visa in such cases so that patients of foreign nationality working in India and those who come from abroad for treatment do not have to suffer.