State govt to appoint Aarogya Mitra at charitable hospitals

The Public Health Department will appoint personnel who will work as a liaison between the patients and hospital administration

In a move to bring transparency to the Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) health scheme for the underprivileged at charitable hospitals, the state health department will appoint Aarogya Mitra at all these health facilities.

There are 58 charitable hospitals in Pune, 74 in Mumbai and 430 across the rest of the state (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

The Public Health Department will appoint personnel who will work as a liaison between the patients and hospital administration.

There are 58 charitable hospitals in Pune, 74 in Mumbai and 430 across the rest of the state. Patients from economically weaker sections get free or discounted treatment under the IPF scheme at these hospitals.

However, the Public Health Minister, Tanaji Sawant and the Health Department have been receiving several complaints against the charitable hospitals of patients being denied treatment under the scheme despite being eligible.

A meeting was held between the charity commissioner officials, the Public Health department under Health Minister, Sawant during which it was decided to appoint 467 Aarogya Mitra at various facilities.

Sudhir Bukke, the joint charity commissioner of Pune, informed the reason to appoint Aarogya Mitra will benefit the patients and the government as it is likely to bring more clarity to the functioning of the scheme.

“Aarogya Mitra will work as a liaison between patients and the hospital administration. They can guide and help patients by scrutinising and verifying the document required to avail the benefit of the scheme. Currently, social workers help patients at charitable hospitals. But we have limited control over them, as they are hospital employees,” he said.

According to a state Health Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the 467 Aarogya Mitra would be recruited based on the discussion at the meeting and the order of the health minister, Sawant.

“They will be employed at charitable hospitals. The personnel will assist in providing prompt resolutions to patient complaints and issues. For the recruitment, a mobile application and a website will be developed,” stated the official.

According to the charity officials, there have been complaints about the social workers at the hospitals being biased toward the hospitals as they are employees of the hospital. Many times, they are unavailable at their desk and even don’t respond to the calls of the patients. Rather than helping the patients avail the benefit of the scheme the social workers are accused of finding how the patient can be found unfit for the scheme, said the officials.

Adv Manjusha Kulkarni, a legal advisor to Ruby Hall Clinic and secretary of the Association of Hospitals in Pune, said, as per the scheme each hospital keeps beds reserved.

“We are providing the beds as and when available. These beds have to be kept reserved at the General ward and if there are no beds available in this ward, we cannot admit the patients. In case of non-emergency, we keep the patient on the waiting list, and they are called up when the beds are free. However, if a patient asks for a private room or specific doctors, they are denied admission,” she said.

Kulkarni added that the social workers at hospitals work as per the provisions of the scheme.