Coming February, patients getting treatment at any civic hospitals under the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will get all medicines free of cost. The civic body is going to start the ‘Prescription-Free’ scheme from February 1. At present, some of the medicines are given free of cost.
In order to improve facilities in civic hospitals standard and to provide quality medical facilities to common people, the civic body is taking a number of measures.
While dedicating newly set ICU facilities at Nerul and Airoli hospitals, Eknath Shinde, Thane district Guardian minister launched the "Prescription Free" scheme. “Under this scheme, from February 1, 2021, patients undergoing treatment at NMMC hospitals will not be given prescriptions by doctors and all types of drugs will be provided free of cost,” said Abhijit Bangar, the municipal commissioner. He added that the scheme will provide a big relief to the common man.
“At present, some medicines are provided free of cost in municipal hospitals and some medicines have to be bought outside if they are not available due to some reasons. However, from February 1, 100 per medicines will be made available free of cost by the corporation to the patients in both inpatient and outpatient department,” said a senior official from the Health Department.
Meanwhile, the medical wards and ICU beds at both Nerul and Airoli hospitals have been dedicated to common citizens. Both the hospital buildings were not being used to their full capacity. Civic chief Bangar had expressed displeasure after he paid a surprise visit to both the hospitals after he found that despite infrastructure at civic hospitals, patients are running from one to another private hospital for treatment. Both the hospitals, 15-medical beds, and 10-ICU beds have been started.
Meanwhile, Guardian minister Shinde promised to get permission from the state government to start a medical college at a civic hospital in Vashi. During the pandemic, the civic body faced an acute shortage of health workers. “The shortage necessitated to plan a medical college at the civic hospital,” said a senior official from the Health Department.
