Indian Express 02.12.2009
PMC unveils health scheme for the poor
The Pune Municipal Corporation on Tuesday announced the launch of a health assistance scheme for which the civic body will incur 50 per cent — the maximum would be Rs 1 lakh—¿ of hospitalisation expenses of patients who take up the plan.
The scheme will be only for families with less than Rs 1 lakh annual income.
“The prime responsibility of the civic body is to provide better health services to citizens. Civic hospitals lack advance medical facilities and impoverished citizens have to approach private hospitals for treatment that is unaffordable to them,” said Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Zagade at a press conference.
According to the scheme, the beneficiaries will be eligible to get 50 per cent of hospitalisation expenses up to a maximum limit of Rs 1 lakh in any of the 44 listed private hospitals.
“The scheme is only open for slum-dwellers and people below poverty line having an annual income of less than Rs 1 lakh. Around 12 lakh citizens are likely to benefit from the scheme,” said Zagade. To be part of the scheme, the eligible citizens have to register their family with the civic body at an annual fee of Rs 100 per family, which would include the couple, parents and first two children till they reach the age of 25 years. It will be applicable to the third child born before January 1, 2005.
However, the scheme will not be applicable for citizens who are eligible for assistance from other government or private organisations.
A condition has been set for the beneficiaries that the patient should get primary medical treatment at civic hospitals and it will be only after recommendation from the PMC-run Kamala Nehru Hospital that the patient will be referred to the enlisted 44 private hospitals.
A separate cell for implementation of the scheme and two civic staff at each of the 40 civic public health centers will be made available to facilitate the process for availing benefits.
“The civic body is expected to incur expenditure of Rs 4 crore to implement the scheme. There would be additional financial provision made in the next year budget depending upon the response to the scheme this year,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner M S Devanikar. He said the registeration of citizens will be done in the month of December every year and identity cards issued in January.
The citizens have to submit proof of residential address, ration card, birth certificate of children and two family photographs for registration. Those registering for the scheme will also get the benefit of not paying fee for the case paper at civic hospitals.
