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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Doctors should not refuse treatment under IPF scheme
PUNE: Towards effective implementation of the Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) scheme and putting an end to discrimination against needy patients, the state government has directed the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to instruct doctors in charitable hospitals not to deny treatment or examination to patients from economically weaker sections, officials said. A government resolution (GR) was issued on Tuesday granting permission to establish a Special Inspection Team under the charity commissioner, medical education and drugs department; and Charitable Hospital Helpdesk for implementation of the IPF scheme. The team will include the charity commissioner, Maharashtra or a nominated member; principal secretary, medical education and drugs department or a nominated member; and head of the Charitable Hospital Helpdesk or a nominated member. Furthermore, the GR states that all charitable hospitals must implement various health schemes of the central and state governments. The departments must prepare and submit to the law and judiciary department a list of hospitals that have received land or concessions from local municipal corporations or central/state government/district collector's office. The decision was taken during a meeting headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on April 23, 2025, to review the functioning of the Charitable Hospital Helpdesk, officials said. For effective implementation of the IPF scheme, the charity commissioner's office must ensure that charitable hospitals display the status of vacant beds, government health schemes, and other related information. This updated information must also be available online and on a dashboard. Besides, disciplinary action should be taken under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950 and directions issued by the Bombay High Court (HC) against charitable hospitals that avoid implementing the scheme or do not use the online system developed for the scheme. Rameshwar Naik, head of the Special Help Cell, Maharashtra, said that the decision has been taken by the chief minister with the aim that no needy patient should be deprived of treatment for financial reasons. 'An inspection committee will be constituted to conduct an audit of charitable hospitals. The government has also approved 186 posts of charitable health workers that will be filled through outsourcing. These posts will be filled on priority and will assist eligible patients to avail the treatment,' he said. Meanwhile, the government said that to determine the economic status of patients, beneficiary patients must submit any of the following documents namely income certificate from tehsildar, ration card/BPL card or PAN card (if available). The revenue and forests department must instruct tehsildars to verify and issue income certificates after thorough checks. All charitable hospitals should operate only one IPF account. If multiple IPF accounts exist, the funds should be consolidated into one. A centralised system should be created for monitoring these funds through the charity commissioner's office. The facility There are 58 charitable hospitals in Pune, 74 in Mumbai, and 430 across the rest of the state. The IPF scheme was framed by the Bombay HC and rolled out in September 2006; all charitable hospitals in the state have to allocate two per cent of their gross billing to help indigent patients. All charitable hospitals have the mandate to earmark and reserve 10% of their beds for indigent patients to be treated for free, and 10% of beds for economically weaker sections. This aid has to be in the form of free treatment to those with an annual income below ₹1.8 lakh, and at 50% discounted billing for patients with an annual income below ₹3.60 lakh.
Hindustan Times
01-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Maha gets Centre's nod to receive foreign donations for CM Relief Fund
MUMBAI: In a first-of-its-kind move, the Union Home Ministry has granted permission to the Maharashtra government to accept foreign donations for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF), marking a significant policy shift under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The CMRF, operated by the state government, provides financial assistance to individuals affected by natural disasters, accidents, communal violence, terror attacks, and also extends aid for medical treatment and educational support. Until now, the fund—like those in other states—could only receive domestic contributions from individuals and companies. 'This is the first time any state's CM Relief Fund has been allowed to receive foreign contributions under the FCRA,' confirmed Rameshwar Naik, a BJP functionary who currently heads the fund. 'The permission was granted by the Union Home Ministry on Friday,' he added. The development comes in contrast to a previous decision by the Centre in 2018, when it declined the Kerala government's request to accept foreign aid in the aftermath of devastating floods. Officials in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the move will enable the fund to tap into corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds from foreign companies operating in Maharashtra. 'There are many multinational firms here with significant CSR allocations. These resources can now be used to help more people in need,' an official said. The CMRF is registered as a trust under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act and is administered by a dedicated cell in the CMO. While officials can sanction aid within a fixed limit, the chief minister has discretionary powers to approve financial assistance of up to ₹7–8 lakh per medical case. Donations to government relief funds are closely regulated by the Union Home Ministry under the FCRA to prevent misuse and ensure transparency. As per law, any trust, NGO, or organisation seeking to receive foreign funds must first register under the Act. The original legislation, enacted in 1976, was overhauled in 2010 and amended again in 2020—most notably to grant exemptions to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES). Former CMRF official Mangesh Chivate revealed that efforts to secure this exemption had been ongoing for years. 'Even during Eknath Shinde's tenure, letters were written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah seeking this approval. This hasn't happened overnight,' Chivate said. According to official data from the CMO, the CMRF disbursed ₹4.95 crore to 525 beneficiaries in Mumbai during the first four months of 2025. During his term as CM, Shinde sanctioned ₹419 crore to over 51,000 beneficiaries, while the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government had extended aid worth ₹2.5 crore.
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Maharashtra Govt slaps ₹10 Lakh fine on Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital over denial of emergency care
Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital has been fined ₹10 lakh by a government-appointed committee for violating key provisions under the Maharashtra State Public Charitable Trust Scheme. The committee, led by joint charity commissioner Rajni Kshirsagar, found the hospital guilty after probing the death of Tanisha Bhise — a pregnant woman who allegedly died after being denied admission due to her family's inability to pay a ₹10 lakh advance. The case brought to light serious lapses in the enforcement of guidelines meant to protect patients in emergencies. As per a government resolution dated April 4, the hospital's refusal to provide immediate care breached Clause III of the charitable hospital norms, which mandate that no advance payment should be demanded in emergency cases and life-saving treatment must be provided without delay. Further, investigations revealed that the hospital violated its obligations under Section 41AA of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950, which requires charitable hospitals with annual expenses exceeding ₹5 lakh to earmark 2% of their billing towards an Indigent Patients' Fund (IPF). This fund is meant to ensure free or subsidised care for the economically weaker sections. The inquiry committee's report, submitted to the Chief Minister's Office on Saturday, noted that Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital not only failed to meet these legal responsibilities but also contributed to a tragic and avoidable loss of life, exposing serious flaws in the system meant to safeguard underprivileged patients.
