Pune: The Office of the Joint Charity Commissioner has directed all charitable hospitals to appoint staff who will provide information about the Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) Scheme 24/7. The move aims to ensure that financially weaker patients can avail themselves of the benefits of the scheme without difficulty.
Social workers or coordinators have already been appointed in many charitable hospitals to inform patients about the scheme. However, since their availability is limited to specific hours, hospitals have now been instructed to deploy dedicated staff to assist patients and their families at any time of the day or night.
As per existing rules, 10 out of every 100 beds in charitable hospitals must be reserved for poor patients, and another 10 for destitute patients. However, reports indicate that these beds are often unavailable. Maharashtra currently has 468 charitable hospitals, including 74 in Mumbai and 58 in Pune, where the IPF scheme is in force.
“This decision has been taken so that needy patients get the benefit of the charity scheme without delay, and citizens are fully informed about its provisions. Hospitals have been asked to implement the order immediately,” said Joint Charity Commissioner Rajni Kshirsagar.
