Maharashtra to Expand Health Scheme and Discuss Seven Hills Hospital Privatization
On Monday, June 29, the Maharashtra government announced plans to expand its flagship Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana health insurance scheme to more private and charitable hospitals, while promising to hold discussions with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) regarding concerns over the potential privatization of Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai.
Minister of State for Health Meghana Bordikar announced the measures in the Assembly while replying to a calling attention motion. She stated that the government has directed major private and charitable hospitals to implement the state-sponsored scheme to ensure poor patients receive cashless medical treatment.
According to Bordikar, the state has already held meetings with major hospitals to persuade them to join the initiative. The move aims to prevent low-income residents from facing high medical expenses.
During the legislative debate, Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel highlighted that several hospitals were failing to implement government health schemes. He noted that this failure forced patients to incur medical bills ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, and urged the government to enforce compliance among all charitable hospitals.
Congress MLAs Amin Patel and Aslam Sheikh raised specific concerns regarding Seven Hills Hospital. They questioned plans by the BMC to lease the civic-run facility to a private operator, demanding that it remain public to serve poor and local residents.
In response, Bordikar clarified that while the administration of Seven Hills Hospital falls under the jurisdiction of the BMC, the state government will convene a meeting with civic authorities to address these concerns and examine the demands.
Bordikar also noted that Apex Hospital is currently providing cashless treatment under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) scheme, where beneficiaries of the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana are also eligible for treatment.
Additionally, Shiv Sena MLA Arjun Khotkar emphasized the necessity for more charitable hospitals in Mumbai's suburbs. To address complaints about doctor shortages and inadequate infrastructure, Bordikar stated the government is conducting inspections of existing charitable institutions to improve overall healthcare quality.
