Outsiders to pay 20 per cent extra in civic hosps
About 45 per cent of the total patients treated by the BMC hospitals are the residents of areas other than Mumbai.
Mumbai: After a gap of 17 years, the rates of treatment in municipal hospitals are all set to rise. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to hike cost of various treatments in civic hospitals. The civic body is also planning to charge more for outside patients for treatment in civic hospitals. It has proposed to levy 20 per cent extra health service charges for patients, who throng municipal hospitals from other cities.
About 45 per cent of the total patients treated by the BMC hospitals are the residents of areas other than Mumbai. BMC for many years has been charging equal health service charges for all patients – both living in the city and outside. However, outside patients will now be charged more.
According to the civic officials, the BMC spends over Rs 3,600 crore on health and gives quality service at low costs. But it gets revenue of only Rs 248 crore, which is only 6.74 per cent of the total spending on health care facilities.
Hence, the civic body has decided to levy extra health service charges on outside patients. They may be from neighbouring cities like Thane, Kalyan, Pune or from other states.
Service charges for health care in civic hospitals were last decided in the year 2000. Though there has been no increase in health service charges since then, the cost of services has increased substantially over the years. To procure advanced medical equipment and to deal with rising maintenance and establishment cost, the health care charges need to be increased, said civic officials.
Various treatments in municipal hospitals will also see a substantial rise in their rates. Accordingly, charges of surgeries, x-rays, BMR, MRI, sonography, pathology, biopsy tests are likely to increase by 75 to 100 per cent.
Opposition leader Ravi Raja from the Congress has opposed the move to charge more for outside patients. “How can the BMC charge 20 percent more just because they are from other cities. After all constitutionally they are citizens of the country. We will also oppose plans to increase rates of treatments. Despite having a strong budget, the standard of services in BMC hospitals is very poor.”