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Charitable hospitals move to Bombay High Court over govt's direction to install monitoring software

Move Bombay high court against state's direction that they install a newly-launched software that will monitor the number of poor patients being treated under the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Scheme.

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The state government has decided to keep a vigilant cyber eye over charitable hospitals across Maharashtra on the issue of providing free treatment to the poor.

It recently launched a software that will monitor the number of poor patients being treated and given the benefits available under the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Scheme (RGJS). In short, the software will keep a tab on the hospitals whether they are really treating the poor as directed by the government under the scheme.

But even as the state has directed all charitable hospitals to install the software and also station a person on the hospital premises for assisting those who are eligible for free treatment, the Charitable Hospitals Association has opposed the state’s move and has even filed a petition in the high court challenging it.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing in due course of time.

RGJS provides health cover for all poor patients across Maharashtra as per their income status.

Those enrolled under the scheme can get free medical treatment up to Rs2 lakh.

There are 55 charitable hospitals in the city, including major ones such as Jaslok, Breach Candy and Bombay hospitals. As per an earlier high court directive, charitable hospitals have to create an Indigent Patient Fund as per which 2% of their income has to be compulsorily spent on patients from the economically weaker section of the society.

Most of the private hospitals are not a part of this scheme as they don’t agree with the rate card prescribed by the government under the scheme for the ailments covered.

The charity commissioner, who keeps a tab on all charitable hospitals, however, has agreed to the state government’s move.

Charity commissioner for Mumbai VK Jadhav said, “I really don’t understand why the association is opposing the proposal of installing the software and appointing a person, especially when all the expenses of the person will be borne by the government under the RGJS.”

However, CEO of Hinduja hospital and president of Association of Hospitals Pramod Lele said, “We have been providing all the required data to the charity commissioner’s office. This installation of a software and stationing of a person on the hospital premises isn’t really needed.”

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