New policy could make healthcare affordable

If all goes well in the next general body meeting of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the city could be one step closer towards affordable healthcare. In what will come as a big relief for ailing Mumbaikars, the BMC’s group leaders passed a policy in their meeting last week that will make healthcare in several hospitals in the city run under the public private partnership (PPP) model available at municipal rates. The policy will now be sent to the improvements committee and then the general assembly for approval.

These services include consultation, dialysis and other long-term services. For example, dialysis costs Rs 350 in a municipal hospital, but close to Rs 1,000 at a private hospital. The municipal rates will apply to all PPP hospitals if this policy is adopted. Also, such hospitals will have to reserve 40 per cent of its beds for maternity and paediatrics patients, while the remaining could be used for other purposes.

Earlier, in 2004, the BMC signed agreements with several hospitals and asked them to run municipal maternity homes. The contract mandated that the private hospital pay a nominal rent of Rs 1. Meanwhile, in return, these hospitals would not be able to use the set-up for any other purpose.

Even as the hospitals were not allowed to make any additions to the provisions and the structures in place, such changes soon cropped up. Subsequently, the BMC sent notices to the hospitals for violations. The court then directed the BMC to come up with a new policy, in place of the contracts, after several institutes moved the court against the BMC notice.

As per the policy passed in the group leaders’ meeting, all PPP hospitals which have been previously served notices by the BMC will cease to hold the contracts with the civic body. All other pending leases will be also be called off, making way for the fresh policy.