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Time of India
7 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Charitable hospitals must comply with govt health scheme GR: Minister
1 2 3 Caption: Health minister Prakash Abitkar with Ayushman Bharat Mission Maharashtra president Om Prakash Shete and MLA Kailash Patil Pune: State health minister Prakash Abitkar on Wednesday said trust-run charitable hospitals must comply with the govt resolution on their mandatory empanelment under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY). He said the govt had taken multiple steps recently to ensure that the issues raised by the hospitals were addressed, but the opposition from facilities continued. "When benefits provided by the govt under various schemes applicable to trust-run charitable hospitals are happily accepted, it is their duty to provide treatment to poor patients under various govt-run schemes," he said in the meeting with representatives from the trust-run hospitals at Yashada. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Visibly upset over hospitals sending clerical staffers as representatives, Abitkar said, "I expected decision-makers from the respective hospitals to attend this meeting; but they sent clerical staff. This is not done. The message cannot be delivered effectively by the lower-rung staff to the administration." The health minister said, "We are revising the treatment package rates, and hospitals will benefit from this as well. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo There was no revision in rates since 2013. So, there were some objections. We have now addressed these. The intention of the govt behind such a GR is simply to provide affordable treatment to patients. Charitable hospitals gain benefits, be it land at nominal rates or benefits under taxes, because they come under the trusts act. Otherwise, they should have started private hospitals." Close to 50 trust-run hospitals come under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950. According to it, these hospitals are expected to set aside 2% of their profits from income for the Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) and 10% of the beds for the poor. In exchange, the hospitals gain tax benefits under 80G and seek donations as a charity institute. A total of 11 hospitals from Pune, under the Association of Hospitals (AOH), filed a writ petition in Bombay high court earlier this month. Advocate Manjusha Kulkarni, secretary and legal advisor of AOH, said, "AOH has 11 trust-run hospitals as its members. We filed the writ petition because the govt cannot mandate the hospitals to be empanelled under the MJPJAY or the PMJAY. These are voluntary schemes. The schedule of charges under these schemes is pathetically low. With such charges, we would not be able to cope with the technology and provide the kind of services we do." When asked if the govt would take any strict action against the hospitals refusing to get empanelled under the MPJAY, Abitkar said, "As a govt authority, we have put forth our stand on the issue. We will hear what the hospitals have to say now. The current GR and the law are in line with previous court orders. If they still have any objections, we will address those. Our stand is very clear, and so we are not worried about the writ petition. " Aannasaheb Chavan, chief executive officer, MJPJAY, said, "The MJPJAY ensures Rs5 lakh insurance per family annually, and an additional Rs5 lakh coverage is provided to citizens above 70 years. We have decentralised the registration process by empowering district collectors to empanel hospitals. We have about 2,180 hospitals empanelled with us right now. We aim to increase this to 4,200 hospitals in the next two months. The packages have been revised to include 1,356 treatments, which will double in a few months. The govt is positive about revising the cap on various treatment packages as well. The disbursal of payments will also be smoothened.
Hindustan Times
15-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Charitable hospitals in Pune oppose mandatory government health schemes
The Association of Hospitals (AOH), Pune, has challenged a recent Maharashtra government decision mandating all charitable hospitals to implement state-run health schemes. On Monday, the association filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court, citing financial and operational difficulties with the move. The controversy stems from a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the Department of Law and Judiciary on April 21, 2025. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) The controversy stems from a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the Department of Law and Judiciary on April 21, 2025. The GR eliminates the earlier voluntary nature of joining health schemes, making it compulsory for charitable hospitals to participate in Central and State-run initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), and Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), among others. Subsequently, on June 4, 2025, the Joint Charity Commissioner's office in Pune issued directives requiring charitable hospitals to begin implementation and submit compliance reports by June 12. The AOH, which represents several leading hospitals in the region, strongly opposes the mandate. Member hospitals of the AOH include Ruby Hall Clinic, Jehangir Hospital, Vishwaraj Hospital, KEM Hospital, Sancheti Hospital, Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital, Poona Hospital, and NM Wadia Hospital. In the petition, AOH argues that while they support providing care to the underprivileged, the package rates under the schemes are too low to cover the operational costs of running tertiary care hospitals. Dr HK Sale, executive director of Noble Hospital and chairman of the Association of Hospitals, Pune, said, 'If the hospitals start all the schemes, they will be flooded with patients who want to get treated under the scheme, and there will be no space for other patients. For investigations, the hospitals have high-end, latest machinery and devices, which are cost-exorbitant. There are senior and expert doctors and trained staff which needs to be paid at par with the market rates. How will it be possible for the hospitals to survive?' According to data shared by officials, there are 58 charitable hospitals in Pune, 74 in Mumbai, and 468 in other parts of Maharashtra. All charitable hospitals are already obligated under the Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) scheme, mandated by a 2006 Bombay High Court order, to allocate 2% of their gross billing for free or subsidised treatment. This includes reserving 10% of beds for indigent patients (treated entirely free) and another 10% for economically weaker sections at a 50% discount. The AOH claims the charitable hospitals are already fulfilling their duty by providing free and subsidised treatment to the needy under the IPF scheme. However, the government has issued the GR to ensure that no needy patient is deprived of medical aid due to the unavailability of IPF. Many times, the charitable hospitals have reportedly denied or refused treatment to the needy patients, stating unavailability of IPF and in such cases, the patients can be given the option or benefit of other government health schemes, said the officials. Adv Manjusha Kulkarni, from Ruby Hall Clinic, who is secretary and legal advisor of AOH, said, 'The petition was filed by the association, which includes all trust hospitals, against the government decision. This will affect the hospitals badly and they won't be able to sustain and compete with the global healthcare facilities that offer advanced technology in healthcare. We will not be able to develop or sustain it, and every hospital needs to maintain its standards.' As per AOH, around 78% healthcare services are provided by private hospitals, and they are not considered by the government prior to making any decisions. Currently, everyone is using Robots for surgery, and it is expensive and patients can't be provided surgical management under the rates offered by the schemes. Furthermore, diagnostic facilities like CT Scan machines cost around ₹8 to 10 crore, and scan machines are worth up to ₹50 crore. Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC) for medical equipment costs around ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore, due to which the scan tests cost around ₹15 to 18k. This test cannot be provided for nominal charges, unlike small nursing homes that have CT machines worth ₹40 to 50 lakh. Dr Priti Lokhande, coordinator for MJPJAY and PM-JAY scheme, who is coordinating with the Charitable hospitals for the empanelment, said, 'There has been a Lukewarm response even after the GR and directions from charity Commissionerate hospitals. We have received requests from only two charitable hospitals in the Pune district who have shown interest to get empaneled. However, the charitable hospitals remain firm on their stand and are not ready to get empaneled,' she said. Ashish Purnale, district coordinator for RBSK, said only nine hospitals are currently empanelled under the scheme, of which six are private. 'There are over 104 procedures covered under RBSK, but uptake remains low,' he said. Dr. Vinod Sawantwadkar, CEO of Jehangir Hospital, emphasised that government facilities should first upgrade their infrastructure. 'We are already contributing through IPF and health camps. The issue is limited bed capacity and staff. Government hospitals need better facilities; private hospitals cannot bear the entire burden,' he said. He also pointed out that maintaining high standards of care is non-negotiable. 'We offer world-class treatment through specialised doctors and cutting-edge technology. Quality cannot be compromised for affordability alone.' The AOH's legal challenge seeks to revoke the GR and restore the voluntary nature of empanelment, emphasising that charitable hospitals should not be forced into schemes that threaten their viability.
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
City hospitals seek urgent meeting with PMC over ₹25 crore pending dues
Association of Hospitals (AOH), Pune, has decided to raise the issue of long delays in receiving payments for treating patients under the Urban Poor Health Scheme (UPHS) and Contributory Health Scheme (CHS) with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The association has written to the additional municipal commissioner on Tuesday requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the pending dues issue. One of the key demands is the revision of package rates for various medical procedures under the civic schemes. The body demands that the nursing home charges should not be revised as per the Maharashtra Nursing Homes Registration (Amendment) Rules 2021, representatives of the association said. The AOH is an association of big hospitals in the city, including Ruby Hall Clinic, KEM, Noble Hospital, Jehangir Hospital, Poona Hospital, KEM Hospital and Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital. The civic body has 140 hospitals empanelled under the scheme, and owes dues amounting to ₹25 crores, they said. Dr HK Sale, executive director, Noble Hospital and chairman of AOH, Pune, said, 'The rates at which the procedures are conducted under the PMC-run health schemes are old. We want the civic body to revise the rates, so that hospitals on the panel don't suffer losses. The hospitals have to pay vendors on monthly basis, and the mounting unpaid bills have placed it under immense financial pressure.' Manjusha Kulkarni, legal advisor, Ruby Hall Clinic and secretary of the association, said, 'There has been a rate revision in the nursing home charges as per the Maharashtra Nursing Homes Registration (Amendment) Rules 2021. We don't want PMC to increase the charges. Besides, the civic body should reconsider biomedical waste charges, which are exorbitant.' Dr. Sanjeev Wavare, assistant health officer, PMC, stated that approximately ₹20 crore in dues are yet to be cleared by PMC. 'The delay occurs due to time required for scrutiny of bills. While the payment process is ongoing, some hospitals receive their payments while bills from other hospitals continue to accumulate. The rates for empanelled hospitals are based on the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) rates, but they are outdated,' he said.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Binghamton's flag raising for Saint Patrick's Day
BINGHAMTON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Binghamton's city hall was teeming with green, orange and white this morning, to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham joined members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians to raise the Irish flag. Kraham talked about his own Irish heritage, saying his ancestors immigrated to America in 1859 and once worked as the fire chief in Cooperstown. After raising the flag, everyone in attendance sang the Irish national anthem, 'A Soldiers Song.' Kraham says there's never been as small a country that's made as big of an impact as Ireland. 'The sons and daughters of Erin came to our shores seeking a better life. These courageous immigrants built families here, they build strong communities and they helped forge Binghamton's future and our nation's future,' says Kraham. The AOH is hosting its annual Saint Patty's Day celebration tonight at 148 Main Street in Binghamton until 9 p.m. Featuring live music by the Shambles. Kraham also encourages people to go out tonight, and responsibly support their local Irish pubs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Broome County AOH hosting Irish historian Davy Holden
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – The Broome County Ancient Order of Hibernians is preparing for it biggest event of the year by teaching community members about Irish History. Leading up to Parade Day, the AOH will host a slew of activities dedicated to Irish culture and appreciation. Their next event, a history night, will be held on Saturday. The event features a special appearance from Irish historian, podcaster, and musician Davy Holden. Holden will share a presentation on Irish rebellions beginning in the 1700s. He will also share rebel music and discuss how the uprisings shaped Irish values. Division II Historian for the AOH Kathleen Nilsson is an avid follower of Holden. She says that when he agreed to come to Binghamton, she was shocked and overjoyed. 'I've always been fascinated with history and to see young people enamored with history, it really, it warms my heart. So, I like listening to him a lot for those reasons,' said Nilsson. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the AOH Hall, located at 148 Main Street in Binghamton. It is free to attend. The AOH has several other events coming up including a performance from B.C. Celtic Pipes and Drums, dinner dance, soup supper, and more. Proceeds will help fund Parade Day which will be held on March 2. Ithaca man arrested on arson charge after months-long investigation NY HEAT Act reintroduced in the NYS Senate Jury deadlocked after four-day deliberation in Aissa trial National Wear Red Day raises awareness for heart health Broome County AOH hosting Irish historian Davy Holden Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
