Hospitals warned of action for ignoring the poor
State threatens to take back land, other facilities if 10 per cent beds are not allocated for those below poverty line…Surendra Gangan
State threatens to take back land, other facilities if 10 per cent beds are not allocated for those below poverty line…Surendra Gangan
The state government has warned private hospitals in the city that the land given to them will be taken back if they do not ensure 10 per cent quota for poor patients.
A calling-attention motion in the Legislative Council on Monday again brought for discussion the alleged non-compliance by private hospitals of the law stipulating quota for poor patients.
A calling-attention motion in the Legislative Council on Monday again brought for discussion the alleged non-compliance by private hospitals of the law stipulating quota for poor patients.
The council also adopted a breach of privilege motion against the CEO of Jaslok Hospital Colonel Manesh Masand for allegedly ill-treating a committee appointed by the Council.
MLCs from the Shiv Sena and BJP claimed that none of the private hospitals followed the rule under section 41 (a)(4) of the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950, to set aside 10 per cent of hospital beds for poor patients.
Stating that there was non-compliance on the part of private hospitals, minister of state for law and judiciary Hasan Mushriff said the government will take stern action against Bombay and Jaslok hospitals and may even consider taking back the land and other facilities given to them.
When we visited several hospitals in the city, most of them were found not complying with the rule. There are standing instructions of the High Court in this regard, which are not being followed by the management, he said.
When the issue first came for discussion in last budget session, the Council had appointed a committee headed by Mushriff to look into the allegation of private hospitals not allocating 10 per cent of beds for patients below the poverty line.
The committee visited various hospitals. It was allegedly ill-treated at Jaslok Hospital. CEO Masand did not even allow us to enter the hospital premises. When we asked for the details of the treatment to poor people, Masand said the management can use its discretion to decide upon the names of the patients. He also said the management does not recognise the income certificated issued by the collector, alleged Sena MLC Deepak Sawant, who was part of the committee.
Terming this as humiliation of council members, Sena and BJP MLCs moved a breach of privilege motion against Masand. It was adopted by the house when the minister accepted the demand.
However, Masand said the government itself has accepted that the committees role was restricted to ascertain if 11/7 railway bomb blast victims were getting proper treatment.
State government itself has mentioned this in the High Court. As for ill-treating the committee, I did not even know that they were ministers and MLCs. They misbehaved with me and even threatened me of dire consequences. One of them said, Tereko malum nahi hum kya kar sakte hai (You are not aware of our power), he said. Masand said he will attend the hearings before the Privilege Committee.