City hospitals claim ineligible patients misusing IPF scheme
Dr H K Sale, executive director of Noble Hospital and Chairman of AHP, said the issue has been kept on priority for discussion in the upcoming monthly meeting
The Association of Hospitals in Pune (AHP) claims that several affluent patients are misusing the Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) scheme at Charitable Hospitals, which is meant for the benefit of needy and eligible patients. Several hospitals have noticed a new trend in which ineligible patients are getting admitted to charitable hospitals as paying patients and later deceptively avail the benefit of the scheme and take refunds, the officials said.
Dr H K Sale, executive director of Noble Hospital and Chairman of AHP, said the issue has been kept on priority for discussion in the upcoming monthly meeting.
Dr Sale said, “These patients get documents claiming eligibility for the scheme to avail free treatment. With the help of politicians and officials, they pressure the hospitals to provide free treatment and even demand a refund for the money they had initially paid despite being ineligible. Most of them are from well-to-do families and still expect treatment free of cost.”
There are 58 charitable hospitals in Pune, 74 in Mumbai and 430 across the rest of the state. The Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) scheme was framed by the Bombay High Court (HC) and rolled out in September 2006. Under the scheme, all charitable hospitals in the state have to allocate two per cent of their gross billing to help indigent or economically weak patients.
Dr Behram Khodaiji, chief executive officer (CEO), Ruby Hall Clinic, said, “We are happy to help the needy patients who are genuine and deserving. However, some patients are financially well off and not eligible for the IPF scheme but still avail the benefit of the scheme unethically.”
Vinod Sawantwadkar, CEO, of Jehangir Hospital, said, the issue has become rampant. People get admitted as paying patients and remain in the category for three to five days. Later they get the documents and avail the benefits of the IPF scheme and ask for benefits.
“We do charity as per the norms, but we need to see whether it is reaching the right person. The government should also work with the hospitals to help the scheme reach the genuine needy patients,” he said.
Pamesh Gupta, CEO of Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital (ABMH), said, “We intend to treat needy patients under the IPF scheme, a person who has insurance, no documents or intended to avail the scheme, how can we treat them under the scheme,” he said.
The Government has recently set up a Special Medical Aid Cell headed by Rameshwar Naik to monitor the IPF scheme across the state. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Naik assured to look into the issue and make sure the benefits of the IPF scheme reach the needy patients and no one is taking undue advantage of the scheme.