BMC zero-prescription policy in hospitals draws flak for excluding non-Mumbai patients

BMC offers healthcare at discounted rates. However, patients had to buy non-scheduled medicines and advanced forms of medicines and implants from outside. In response, the ‘Chief Minister’s Zero Prescription Policy’ was initiated.

It aims to ensure all essential medicines on the schedule can be provided in hospitals, excluding non essentials.

“This initiative is crucial as many patients at BMC-run hospitals come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, struggling even to afford daily meals,” said Sudhir Pandey, a health activist. “The ‘Zero Prescription Policy’ will potentially save lives by preventing patients from leaving hospitals due to the inability to purchase medicines from outside, worsening their health conditions,” he added.

However, concerns have been raised about the BMC’s potential discrimination against non-residents of Mumbai, as this policy may not be applicable to them. BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal announced the formation of a committee to determine treatment fees that patients from outside Mumbai must pay in civic-run hospitals.

In Mumbai, approximately 40 per cent of patients admitted come from outside the city, notably from Navi-Mumbai and Palghar. Sources indicate this decision aims to reduce the influx of patients from these areas, alleviating the workload on Mumbai’s hospitals.

Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Sheikh from Bhiwandi criticised the BMC’s budget, labelling the proposed separate fees for non-Mumbai patients as discriminatory. He expressed strong opposition and noted citizens’ disappointment over the absence of anticipated tax relief.

“The right to healthcare is a fundamental right granted by the Constitution. Any move by the BMC to have a separate fee structure for patients outside Mumbai is discrimination on grounds of residence,” he said. “The cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region do not have adequate healthcare facilities.

BMC has been providing healthcare facilities to the poor and needy for the last 100 years. Introducing a separate fee structure for them like this is tantamount to denying healthcare to the poor and needy,” he added.

Meanwhile, BMC is earmarking an estimated Rs 1,200 to 1,500 crores for this initiative, with a focus on procuring generic medicines.