Mumbai Feb 18 PTI The Maharashtra and Union governments have spent less than 50 per cent of funds under the National Rural Health Mission to treat COVID-19 patients functionaries of healthcare initiative Jan Aarogya Abhiyan said on Friday The JAA an informal group of healthcare activists made the statement based on data shared by the Maharashtra governments health department on its portal Out of Rs 1583 crore for NRHM as states share only 323 per cent funds have been spent in 2021-22 The Union government likewise spent only 413 per cent Less than two months are left in this fiscal The overall expenditure of the health department is just 467 per cent while the medical education department has spent 497 per cent so far the JAA said It said Maharashtra had the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths but the states health department had spent just Rs 110 crore or barely 6 per cent of the proposed spending in the current fiscal of Rs 1733 crore The health and medical education departments had together allocated Rs 2077 crore for supplies and materials including medicines and oxygen during this year But only Rs 180 crore or 86 per cent of the budgeted amount has been spent which is deeply worrisome at a time when healthcare needs are higher due to the pandemic it said PTI ND BNM BNM BNM

Mumbai Sep 29 PTI As many as 75 per cent of COVID-19 patients were overcharged by private hospitals a survey carried out in Maharashtra has foundNearly half of these patients died during treatment said Dr Abahy Shukla of the Jan Aarogya Abhiyan an umbrella group of activists working in the healthcare sectorWe surveyed the cases of 2579 patients spoke to their relatives and audited the hospital bills Ninety-five per cent of them were admitted to private hospitals he saidWe found that 75 per cent were overcharged On average the amount that was overcharged ranged between Rs 10000 to Rs 1 lakh said Dr ShuklaMost of these patients were hospitalized during the second wave of the pandemicThere were at least 220 women among these patients who shelled out between Rs 1 lakh to 2 lakh more than the actual bill while in 212 cases the patients or their relatives paid more than Rs two lakh in excess Dr Shukla claimedThough the Maharashtra government had announced that the rates of treatment of COVID-19 at private hospitals will be regulated the official instructions were not heeded he saidMany of these patients or their families faced a financial crisis were forced to sell off jewelry borrow from relatives or even take out loans from money lenders to settle the bills he saidAs many as 1460 56 per cent of the patients or their relatives faced this situation as per the surveySeema Bhagwat who lost her husband to mucormycosis a fungal infection which some COVID-19 patients contracted said he was in hospital for 38 days and they were presented a bill of Rs 16 lakhStill I paid three EMIs of the bank There was insurance cover for the bank loan but because I approached them late they are denying my claim How can they expect me to submit my husbands death certificate the day after he died she askedI am not begging for help But the hospital bill should be audited and if I have been overcharged the difference should be refunded to me she saidShakuntala Bhalerao convenor of the Abhiyan said what is lacking is a law to regulate hospitalsA draft of the clinical establishment bill which seeks to create a regulatory mechanism is gathering dust she addedWe fought two cases in Pune recently and the hospitals returned Rs 83000 and Rs 90000 They even admitted that they had overcharged But we can not fight each and every such case There has to be some state mechanism to protect patients Bhalerao saidMukund Dikshit a senior activist recounted that a police complaint had to be filed in Nashik because a hospital refused to hand over a patients body over unpaid bill After intervention by the police and some activists the body was handed over but the hospital faced no action he said PTI ND KRK KRK