Private hospitals denying treatment to poor will face strict action

The state has announced the establishment of a monitoring system that will ensure that 2% of the gross profit of hospitals is utilised for the treatment of poor patients. It also promised strict action against private hospitals guilty of not treating the less fortunate.

According to the provisions in the Charitable Trust Act, 10% of beds in these hospitals are to be reserved for the free treatment of the poor, and 10% for treatment at concessional rates. Also, 2% of the gross profits are to be used for their treatment.

The issue of discrepancies in this regard by charitable trust hospitals in Mumbai was raised in the state assembly.

The minister of state for law and judiciary department, Bhaskar Jadhav, said in the assembly that there was no transparency in the utilisation of this 2%, and one could not ascertain who the beneficiaries were, what rates were applied to the treatment of the beneficiaries, etc. He said his department was contemplating if the 2% could be accumulated through a centralised mechanism, while hinting at an amendment in the act.

Industries minister Narayan Rane announced that the monitoring system for poor patients’ reservations in private hospitals would be in place in the next three months.

He agreed the underprivileged did not get admission to the hospitals, and announced action against those flouting government norms.

NCP’s Jitendra Avhad said nearly 8000 beds would be available for the treatment of poor people in 450 private hospitals, if the rules were followed by the latter rigorously.