Maha triples grant for NGOs running leprosy hospitals after 13 years

Maharashtra increases grants for leprosy hospitals from ₹2,200 to ₹6,600 per bed, the first hike in over a decade, aiding patient care and support.

MUMBAI: For the first time in over a decade, the Maharashtra government has approved a steep hike in grants for private organisations managing leprosy hospitals and rehabilitation centres across the state.

Maha triples grant for NGOs running leprosy hospitals after 13 years

As per a government resolution (GR) issued on August 22, the grant for 13 private hospitals treating leprosy has been increased from ₹2,200 to ₹6,600 per bed. Similarly, 16 organisations running rehabilitation homes for patients will now receive ₹6,000 per bed—up from ₹2,000 earlier. The revised grants will be released on a monthly basis from September 1, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured.

The decision marks the first revision since 2012, despite years of repeated appeals from voluntary organisations, who argued that rising medical and maintenance costs had made the existing support unsustainable.

Currently, 2,864 hospital beds across 13 NGOs are approved for government grants. Another 1,975 beds are sanctioned for grants at 16 voluntary rehabilitation centres. These include institutions such as the Edulji Framjee Allbless Niramay Niketan in Trombay, the Kushtarog Niwaran Samiti in Panvel, the Solapur Leprosy Hospital, the Thane Leprosy Clinic, and centres in Amravati, Nanded, Chandrapur, Wardha, Buldhana, Ahmednagar, Sangli, Pune, Raigad, and Satara.

“The grant was only ₹480 until 2012, when it was raised to ₹2,200. There are always more patients than sanctioned beds. Even though ₹6,600 per bed is still not huge, it will ease our fundraising burden to some extent. For example, we treat 80 patients, though only a fraction of those beds are covered under grants,” said Uday Thakar, executive committee member of the Kushtarog Nivaran Samiti in Panvel.

The GR notes that funds can be used for food, medicines not supplied free by the government, clothing, hospital furniture, and administrative expenses. Traditionally, many leprosy hospitals and rehabilitation centres have depended on donations or by selling produce grown on their lands to make ends meet.

The move comes after state public health minister Prakash Abhitkar set up a high-level committee of experts, doctors and NGOs to strengthen the implementation of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme. The committee will submit quarterly reports to the state government. Abhitkar also pushed for the hike after organisations demanded immediate financial relief.

Leprosy remains a public health challenge in Maharashtra. In 2023–24, 20,001 new cases were detected, higher than in 2015–16 when 15,695 cases were recorded. This year, 18,860 cases were already identified by February 2025. Experts say improved detection campaigns have helped track endemic clusters, but rising costs remain a challenge for voluntary institutions.

“It is not easy to get support for leprosy work, and donations are drying up. Case detection numbers are higher partly because awareness and surveillance have expanded. This is good for tracking patients and preventing transmission. But if Maharashtra wants to meet its 2027 eradication goal, the government must sustain and scale up this support,” said Dr Vivek Pai, director of the Bombay Leprosy Project.