Latest news with #ChiefMinister'sReliefFundofMaharashtra
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
State to tie up with hospitals and corporates to help needy patients
Mumbai: The state govt is initiating a three-way funding arrangement to improve healthcare access for underprivileged patients. The chief minister's medical assistance cell is currently negotiating with corporate entities and hospitals to establish this tripartite funding structure. "A portion of the patient's medical bill will be paid by a corporate house, and the state will also contribute a bit," said Rameshwar Naik, who heads the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Cell. The third partner would be the treating hospital itself. "We are trying to assess how much hospitals can contribute by reducing charges or providing free services," he added. The tripartite method would ensure more patients get help. "Instead of one corporate house helping one patient, the tripartite method will ensure more patients can be assisted," said a govt official. "The chief minister has also directed that we start crowdfunding efforts for patients who need specialised treatment that runs into lakhs or crores of rupees," said Naik, who heads the state's Charity Hospital Relief Cell. A few months back, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis linked the work of his medical assistance cell with the charity commissioner's office to ensure that economically needy patients get access to free beds and care in the various trust-run hospitals in the state. As charity trusts get concessions from the state, their hospitals have to provide 10% of the beds free of cost to families earning less than Rs 1.8 lakh per annum; another 10% of the beds are given at a subsidised rate to families earning less than Rs 3.6 lakh per annum. In the first six months of the year, 23,269 people were provided with Rs 149 crore in assistance by the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Fund and Charity Hospital Relief Cell. The state is the first to receive Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund of Maharashtra, enabling it to receive foreign donations for "social" programmes.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Maharashtra govt plans tripartite funding to aid needy patients
Mumbai: The state govt is initiating a three-way funding arrangement to improve healthcare access for underprivileged patients. The chief minister's medical assistance cell is currently negotiating with corporate entities and hospitals to establish this tripartite funding structure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "A portion of the patient's medical bill will be paid by a corporate house, and the state will also contribute a bit," said Rameshwar Naik, who heads the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Cell. The third partner would be the treating hospital itself. "We are trying to assess how much hospitals can contribute by reducing charges or providing free services," he added. The tripartite method would ensure more patients get help. "Instead of one corporate house helping one patient, the tripartite method will ensure more patients can be assisted," said a govt official. "The chief minister has also directed that we start crowdfunding efforts for patients who need specialised treatment that runs into lakhs or crores of rupees," said Naik, who heads the state's Charity Hospital Relief Cell. A few months back, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis linked the work of his medical assistance cell with the charity commissioner's office to ensure that economically needy patients get access to free beds and care in the various trust-run hospitals in the state. As charity trusts get concessions from the state, their hospitals have to provide 10% of the beds free of cost to families earning less than Rs 1.8 lakh per annum; another 10% of the beds are given at a subsidised rate to families earning less than Rs 3.6 lakh per annum. In the first six months of the year, 23,269 people were provided with Rs 149 crore in assistance by the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Fund and Charity Hospital Relief Cell. The state is the first to receive Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund of Maharashtra, enabling it to receive foreign donations for "social" programmes.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Centre allows Maharashtra CM's Relief Fund to receive foreign funds
NEW DELHI The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has granted the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, registration to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund of Maharashtra, enabling it to receive foreign donations for 'social' programmes. This is the first time that a State government relief body has been granted permission to receive foreign funds under the Act to supplement financial assistance to those affected by natural calamities, major accidents, communal riots, terrorist attacks or those in need of medical and educational help. The relief funds of State governments usually run on domestic donations and contributions. In 2018, India had declined foreign aid for Kerala flood relief. The Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) of Maharashtra is registered as a Trust under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950, its website said. It is managed by the State of Maharashtra under the chairmanship of Chief Minister who exercises overall supervision and control over the funds. According to a tender floated in February, the average number of transactions handled by the CMRF are between one lakh and 1.5 lakh per year. The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund or the PM CARES Fund – set up in March 2020 to tackle distress situations such as that posed by the COVID-19 pandemic – was exempted from the FCRA provisions, and a 'separate account for receiving foreign donations' was opened. Registration mandatory The Home Ministry regulates foreign donations through the FCRA to ensure that such funds do not adversely affect country's internal security. It is compulsory to register under the Act, first enacted in 1976, if an association, group or NGO intends to receive foreign donations. The 1976 Act was repealed and replaced with a new legislation in 2010. It was further amended in 2020. Registered associations can receive foreign contributions for social, educational, religious, economic and cultural programmes. This year, FCRA registrations were granted to 244 NGOs or associations, including the Ramakrishna Mission in Kolkata, the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital in Itanagar, and seven Buddhist associations. As on Friday, there were 16,141 FCRA-registered NGOs in the country.
