Pune News
Charitable Hospitals in Pune Offer Free and Discounted Treatment Worth ₹95.2 Crore
Last year, charitable hospitals in Pune spent ₹ 95.2 crore on providing treatment to patients either for free or at discounted rates under the Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) scheme. However, officials noted that several hospitals were unable to fully utilize their allocated funds due to patient preferences.Currently, there are 58 charitable hospitals in Pune, 74 in Mumbai, and 468 across the rest of Maharashtra. Dr. H.K. Sale, chairman of the Association of Hospitals in Pune, expressed concerns that the IPF scheme is inadvertently benefiting wealthier patients rather than those truly in need.
He stated, “Many hospitals are witnessing a new trend where ineligible patients are admitted as paying patients. While undergoing treatment, they present documents claiming eligibility for the scheme and demand free treatment. With assistance from politicians and officials, they pressure hospitals for refunds on the payments they initially made, despite being ineligible.”District Collector Jitendra Dudi, who oversees the district monitoring committee for charitable hospitals, emphasized that patient preference for specific hospitals often leads to some hospitals exhausting their funds, resulting in negative balances in their IPF accounts.
Nonetheless, he clarified that even if hospitals face a negative balance, they cannot deny treatment to needy patients.In Pune district last year, 86,826 patients received free or discounted treatment under the IPF scheme. Between January 1 and December 31, 2024, the 58 charitable hospitals deposited ₹ 81.8 crore into their IPF accounts, yet they provided treatment worth ₹ 95.2 crore, exceeding their spending limit by ₹ 13.4 crore.The IPF scheme, established by the Bombay High Court in September 2006, mandates that all charitable hospitals allocate 2% of their gross billing to assist economically disadvantaged patients. This aid is intended for individuals with an annual income of less than ₹ 1.8 lakh for free treatment, and a 50% discount for those with incomes not exceeding ₹ 3.6 lakh.
Charitable hospitals also benefit from various concessions, including FSI, and reductions in water, power, customs, sales, and income taxes.Dudi reported that 34 complaints were received against charitable hospitals last year, all of which have been resolved. He advised that patients and their families can approach the Joint Charity Commissioner Pune or the district collector’s office to lodge any complaints regarding these hospitals.In April of last year, the state government established a Special Help Cell and district-level committees in November to monitor reserved beds and the implementation of the IPF scheme. These measures aim to enhance transparency and ensure that underprivileged patients receive the free or subsidized treatment they are entitled to.
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