2 weeks Ago By Steffy Thevar
Pune: State govt on Monday made it mandatory for all charitable hospitals in Maharashtra to get empanelled under the Mahatma Phule Jyotiba Arogya Yojana , Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and National Child Health Programme to ensure that no needy patient was turned away from healthcare facilities because of inability to deposit money in advance for treatment. In a govt resolution (GR) issued on Monday, the state department of law and judiciary stated that the said compulsion had been made following the report of the state-appointed probe committee that Pune's Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital had avoided admitting a patient despite being a charitable hospital, leading to her postnatal death on March 31. The GR mentioned, "It has come to light that a woman was denied admission by Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune, during her delivery.
An inquiry committee was constituted under the relevant government resolution to investigate it. The matter of issuing instructions for necessary action in accordance with the recommendations of the panel is under consideration of state govt. The committee constituted under the chairmanship of the joint commissioner of charity, Pune, also submitted its report and recommendations to the govt.
In accordance with it, the charity commissioner should instruct all the charity hospitals to effectively implement the Charity Hospital Scheme for patients belonging to the lower and weaker sections." The state department of law and judiciary governs the charity hospitals. Until now, all private hospitals had the option of voluntarily choosing to be empanelled under MPJAY-PMJAY (Mahatma Phule Jyotiba Arogya Yojana-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana).
After Monday's GR, it becomes mandatory for all charitable hospitals. As of now, Maharashtra has a total of 2,031 hospitals empanelled under the govt health insurance schemes. The new GR mentioned that the updated information regarding the Indigent Patient Fund (IPF) account of charitable hospitals should be updated regularly on the charity commissioner's website.
All charitable hospitals must immediately treat a patient coming to the emergency ward, including pregnant women seeking medical attention., it stated It had been found that many charitable hospitals transferred a major source of their income to external sources like pharmacy and diagnostic tests (pathology, radiology or microbiology), the GR stated. "As result, the total revenue of hospitals is reduced.
It directly hits the IPF fund. Therefore, even if such facilities are outsourced by a charitable hospital, 2% of the total revenue generated annually from such outsourced facilities should be credited to the IPF Fund," the GR stated. Under the charity scheme, a hospital has to reserve 2% of the annual gross bill for the IPF account.
The GR stated that all charitable hospitals should take prior approval of the "Charity Hospital Emergency Room" at the Mantralaya through the online system to provide reserved beds to patients belonging to indigent and weaker sections, and for their scheduled treatment/surgery. "Similarly, in case of emergency, charitable hospitals should urgently admit and treat patients concerned. The facilities should register them through the online system and send the proposal to the Charity Hospital Emergency Room of the ministry for approval within the next 48 hours for post-operative approval," it stated.
Restrictions have been imposed on charitable hospitals through the GR on demanding unreasonable money from patients. Hospitals have also been restricted from asking for additional documents from patients, apart from those prescribed by the high court or the govt. The facilities must ensure that no patient was denied treatment owing to lack of funds, it stated.
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