Top pvt hospitals shun state health scheme for poor

Officials from RGJAY have been in talks with many of the 49 private charitable hospitals since the first phase of the scheme,which started in July 2012.

“The scheme is not sustainable in the long run. The hospital has to pay for electricity,water and expensive equipment. We already utilise two per cent of our profits for poor patients. This year,we spent much more on poor patients than required. No hospital will be averse to serving the poor,but it must be done keeping in mind the infrastructure and the quality of treatment provided,” said Dr R Pulgaonkar,medical director,Jaslok Hospital.

Under the scheme,45,940 surgeries/therapies have been completed in eight districts in Maharashtra. Each beneficiary family is entitled to Rs 1.5 lakh. However,many hospitals say that the packages are not consistent with the rates of treatment. For example,an angioplasty which uses high-end equipment such as bioabsorbable stents,could cost anywhere between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh. In such a case,the difference has to be footed by the hospital.

“In such a case,it is not feasible for hospitals to implement the scheme in addition to the existing one,” said Dr Gustad Daver,medical director of Hinduja Hospital.

The first phase of the scheme was implemented in Amravati,Dhule,Gadchiroli,Mumbai and its suburbs,Nanded,Raigad and Solapur. The second phase will target the remaining 27 districts of the state.

RGJAY officials are hoping to rope in private charitable hospitals to increase the network. “We have been in talks with hospitals for a long time and trying to convince them that the scheme is for helping the poor and that they should implement it. Earlier,some had expressed interest but then backed out. We’re hoping that since the first phase was a success,hospitals will participate in the second phase,” said Dr Mukesh Mohode,state programme officer of RGJAY.

Beneficiaries of this cashless hospitalisation scheme need to be have yellow ration cards (families below the poverty line) or orange ration cards (annual income below Rs 1 lakh). They can avail themselves of 972 medical procedures including kidney transplants free-of-cost by producing the health card. Of the beneficiaries covered till date,the maximum (19 per cent) has been for cardiology.