Urban News

All the patients from outside PCMC limits admitted to YCMH in Pimpri will soon be charged 20 per cent extra.

“Out of 800 patients admitted to the hospital, nearly 200 are from outside PCMC limits,” according to hospital medical superintendent. The PCMC standing committee approved the 20 per cent hike for outsiders. The proposal, which has now been placed before the civic general body, is likely to be approved as there is unnanimity among the corporators on the issue. But Shiv Sena’s Khed MP, Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil is opposed to the move.

Adhalrao, whose constituency includes a major part of Pimpri-Chinchwad area, said it was a discriminatory move for people living in the same district. “We will register our opposition with the PCMC administration as this kind of discrimination against patients violates their right to get treatment at any hospital as directed by the Supreme Court,” Adhalrao said. His secretary Prashant Sawant said a meeting will be held during this week with the PCMC administration where Adhalrao will express his opposition to the civic body’s move to hike the rates.

Though Adhalrao is opposing the move, he himself has been able to do little to get a well-equipped government hospital for far flung areas of the district, his detractors say. Adhalrao, who is enjoying his second term as MP, had promised over two years ago that he would make effort to get a government hospital in either Rajgurunagar or Manchar area. However, on Monday, Adhalrao said though he has been working to setup an advanced government hospital for people living rural area, there has been little headway on this front. “The Centre wants the state government to share the cost of setting up the hospital. But the state government has not conveyed anything on this count. So the plan is in the initial stage, but I would certainly put more effort in this direction,” he said. 

His aides say, people from Khed, Junnar and Ambegaon have to travel 50 kilometre to reach the nearest YCM Hospital in Pimpri. “People from far off areas in the district prefer YCM Hospital or Sassoon, both of them are located at a distance of 50 km,” he said. Besides, there are no ICUs in any of the government rural hospitals.

Sawant said there are many cases where the patients have succumbed by the time they reached the hospital. “Recently, a snake bite case occured in a village near Manchar. By the time, the patient could be taken to the hospital, she had already died,”he said. He said there was only one rural hospital in Manchar which was ill-equipped to deal with patients.

Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma said the hike for outsiders was long overdue. “We are not discriminating, but we have to take care of our tax-paying citizens first,” he said. An opinion voice by Mayor Yogesh Behl too. However, he said only rates have been hiked where treatment will be provided as per the patient’s urgency.