In a significant development, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has set up a dedicated war room to handle health schemes, implemented by the state and the central governments, in a more efficient manner. Praveen Singh Pardeshi, chief financial advisor to the CM and CEO of Maharashtra Institution for Transformation, will head the war room.
Insiders say that ever since the Mahayuti 2 government assumed power in December last year, a significant push has been given to provide medical assistance to needy patients. It's being viewed as an ambitious public outreach programme, considering the emotional bond one develops during the traumatic phase while getting necessary medical treatments for their near and dear ones.
The 12-member war room committee will work on duplication of benefits offered under the state and the central health schemes, integrate them and supervise the dedicated toll-free number 18001232211. Those in the teams include departmental heads of the public health, medical education, social justice, women and child development, law and judiciary, labour and tribal development, minority development and divyang welfare. While the chief of the medical assistance cell in the CMO will be its member, the joint director will be the member-secretary of the committee.
The decision to set up a war room in the CMO was taken in the review meeting of the CM's Relief Fund a few months ago. Currently, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde have dedicated medical assistance cells in their offices in Mantralaya. A few other ministers also have dedicated staff to assist needy patients for treatment in the state-run as well as the hospitals run by charitable trusts.
The CM’s medical assistance cell sanctioned Rs233.77 crore for 27,112 patients between December 6, 2024, when Fadnavis took over, to October 10. Additionally, it provided medical assistance worth Rs215.96 crore to 2.87 lakh patients in charity hospitals between December 6, 2024, to June 30.
In a meeting with a senior functionary of the BJP-led alliance, all the legislators were asked to focus on offering medical help to needy people from their districts. Recently, the state government has decided to launch MAHAcare, an ambitious program to fight cancer, under which some of the state-run medical colleges will offer treatment to those suffering from the serious ailment.
12-member team
Tasks
Check on duplication of benefits offered under state, central health scheme
Supervise the dedicated toll-free number 18001232211
Team composition
Departmental heads
Public health, medical education, social justice
Women and child development, law and judiciary
Labour and tribal development, minority development and divyang welfare
Member Medical assistance cell chief, CMO
Member-secretary Cell's joint director
