20 Civic Hospitals In Pune To Be Covered Under PMJAY And Phule Schemes

Pune: In a significant move to strengthen public healthcare services, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to include 20 PMC hospitals and 47 outpatient departments (OPD) under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana schemes. The decision aims to ensure that citizens receive quality medical treatment free of cost or at highly subsidised rates.

Several civic hospitals, such as Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, Dr Naidu Infectious Diseases Hospital, Late Jayabai Nanasaheb Sutar Maternity Home, Rajmata Jijau Maternity Home, Dr Kotnis Health Centre, Aundh Kuti Hospital and Late Malti Kachi Maternity Home, will be part of the initiative. The decision follows recommendations made by the State Health Department.

A meeting between officials of the State Health Department and the municipal administration was held at the PMC headquarters on Friday to discuss the implementation process. During the meeting, officials reviewed technical procedures related to beneficiary registration, treatment approval, and patient enrolment under the schemes.

At present, PMC hospitals provide primary healthcare services either free of cost or at nominal charges. However, some specialised services operated under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model require patients to bear certain expenses. Once these hospitals are formally included in the schemes, eligible patients will be able to avail cashless treatment for a range of medical services.

The move is expected to provide relief to many families who often delay treatment due to high medical expenses in private hospitals. With municipal hospitals offering treatment under these schemes, citizens will have access to affordable healthcare facilities closer to their homes.

Dr Suryakant Deokar, Assistant Health Officer of the PMC, said that preparations are underway to complete the required technical formalities so that beneficiary registration can begin soon. He added that bringing municipal hospitals under these schemes will strengthen the public healthcare system in the city and provide much-needed relief to citizens.