Gurugram ups income cap for eligibility to get free treatment at hospitals

The Haryana government has increased the maximum income level of families that can get concessional treatment at private hospitals from 60,000 per annum to 1.80 lakh per annum.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav, who chaired a meeting on this matter with health authorities and representatives of private hospitals on Wednesday, said in a statement on Thursday, “The maximum income level has been increased from present 5,000 per month for a family to 15,000 per month. A meeting was held with representatives of top hospitals in the city and they were told about the policy changes and also that they will have to strictly follow the norms for treating poor patients.”

According to Yadav’s directions, hospitals such as Medanta, Fortis and Artemis, which have taken land on concessional rates from Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, the state’s urban planning body, will have to reserve 20% beds for patients whose family income is less than 1.8 lakh per annum.

Yadav said that representatives form Medanta, Fortis, Artemis and other private hospitals were made aware about the amended policy and how the state government was very keen on implementing it seriously.

According to the new policy, private hospitals, including super-speciality ones, will have to reserve 20% beds for underprivileged patients who must be residents of Haryana and carry a Parivar Pehchan Patra issued by the state government.

The policy says that in case the cost of treating these patients is as much as 5 lakh, then it will be free of cost. In case the charges are between 5 lakh and 10 lakh, the patient will be charged 10% of the hospital bill. In case the bill is more than 10 lakh, then patients will be charged 30% of the bill amount. In case of an emergency, the patient will be given treatment even without prior reference from concerned authorities.

Apart from in-patient services, these hospitals will have to ensure that 20% of OPD services are also reserved for such patients. “Private hospitals must create separate desks for families that are below powerty line and those from economically weaker section category. Separate queues should be made to facilitate their treatment,” he said, adding that in case such patients are not available, then general patients can be admitted on reserved beds, but if a patient in one of these categories comes, then the bed will have to be vacated.

To ensure the implementation of this policy, a district-level monitoring committee has also been formed, which will be headed by the administrator, HSVP, and will include the district civil surgeon, estate officer, HSVP as member secretary, and representatives from the district administration, Yadav said. The committee will meet at least quarterly to review the implementation of the terms and conditions of the policy.

Sanjeev Singla, estate officer two, HSVP, who was present in the meeting, said on Thursday, “A portal is being created in which hospitals will have to register a patient as soon as they get admitted for treatment. The bills issued to these patients will be uploaded on this portal. The patients will also have to submit their BPL card, Aadhar card, Parivar Pehchan Patra and other requisite documents within 24 hours of getting admitted,” he said.

According to the new policy, the chief minister, state health minister, district civil surgeon or nodal officer, deputy commissioner and head of the red cross society can refer patients to hospitals for treatment under these categories.

Dr Virender Yadav, who will be member of the monitoring committee, said that in the past 5 years, 650 such patients have been treated in Medanta (133), Fortis (267) and Artemis (247). “The change in income level will bring more families in the ambit of this policy and we will make all efforts to ensure that patients from underprivileged families get the requisite treatment at concessional rates,” he said.

In case there are violations of the policy, then the HSVP can begin the process to retake the plots from allottees on the recommendations of the monitoring committee, said Yadav.

Representatives of Medanta, Artemis and Fortis Hospitals did not comment on the amended policy.