Mumbai: A day after the state government issued stringent guidelines for charitable hospitals to ensure free treatment to poor patients, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a review meeting on Wednesday and directed the formation of a special inspection team that will monitor the implementation of the rules.
The FPJ reported on Wednesday that these hospitals have been asked to prioritise the treatment of poor patients even in the absence of advance payments. The special inspection team will function under the coordination of the charity commissioner, the health department, and the Chief Minister’s medical assistance cell to ensure compliance.
The CM has also called for district-level committees and department-wise independent officers under the Charity Commissioner. The CM’s medical assistance cell, for its part, will develop an online system to keep a tab. The hospitals registered with the charity commissioner will be mandated to update the online system with detailed information regarding the treatment provided to patients, patient records, and availability of beds.
A list should also be compiled of hospitals that have received land or other concessions from municipal corporations or through subsidies from the revenue department. To coordinate these efforts, clusters will be formed, and committee heads will be appointed.
Strict action will be taken against hospitals that fail to provide the required data. Fadnavis said that as per the Charitable Trust norms, it is mandatory for charitable hospitals to reserve 10% beds for patients from the indigent section and another 10% for those from the economically weaker section. In emergency situations, immediate treatment and medical services must be provided until the patient is stabilised, and hospitals should not demand any advance payment.
