2418 Govt hospitals to provide free-of-cost treatment in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The Maharashtra cabinet on Thursday decided to provide free-of-cost healthcare facilities like medical tests and treatments at 2,418 hospitals and medical centres run by the state government under the scheme that is likely to be launched on Independence Day, August 15.

The Maharashtra government on Thursday decided to make medical tests and treatment at public hospitals free of cost. The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting which gave its nod to the Right To Health.

Free-of-cost facilities will be available at 2,418 hospitals and medical centres run by the state government under the scheme that is likely to be launched from August 15. More than 25.5 million people avail treatment in these facilities, officials said.

However, the decision will not be applicable to hospitals and medical colleges that come under the Medical Education department.

"Primary health centres, rural hospitals, women hospitals, district general hospitals and super speciality hospitals will treat patients free of cost in the state," an official said.

Cancer hospitals in Nashik and Amravati will also offer the treatment free of cost, the official added.

The official, however, clarified that the decision will not be applicable to hospitals like JJ and KEM which are run by the public health department. “These hospitals take the major load of the public health management. The government is expected to take a similar decision for these hospitals too shortly”, reports HT.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that six hospitals in Maharashtra are to be empanelled with the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), enabling the provision of cashless medical treatment to veterans as per a recent order by the Defence Ministry.