State cracks whip on private hospitals not admitting poor

MUMBAI: The state government has taken strict action against 29 private hospitals for denying beds to poor patients.

MUMBAI: The state government has taken strict action against 29 private hospitals for denying beds to poor patients.

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Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while replying to Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt, who raised the issue in the Legislative Council on Wednesday, said, “The government has stripped off 12 charitable trust-based hospitals, like P D Hinduja Hospital, BSES hospital, Lotus Eye Hospital and others, off their facilities. We have issued show cause notices to six hospitals and filed police complaints against 11,” said the CM while adding that, “Continuous raids and action has helped ensure treatment worth Rs203 crore to poor patients.”

The trust-based hospitals are provided land on concessional lease, income-tax breaks, and subsidies in water and electricity bills along with exemptions in octroi on import of hospital equipments.

To keep a strict approach towards such treatment of poor patients, the state plans to amend Section 66 (F) of the Charitable Trust Act to increase the punishment for denying the mandatory 20% beds to the poor.

Fadnavis said currently the punishment of serving three months’ notice to such hospitals along with Rs 20,000 fine and/or both was insufficient. “The government will scrutinize the Act and amend to this effect would be brought in before the Council in the next session. Also, we have appointed 25 health sevaks to monitor the situation,” said Fadnavis.

Moreover, the state plans to launch a website, which will have real time data from all such trust hospitals on the exact number of poor patients who are being treated there.