Subhechcha Ganguly 
The Maharashtra government has announced that, effective of August 15, all 2,418 public hospitals in the area will provide free medical care and screening exams. This announcement is a result of a campaign to increase the accessibility and affordability of healthcare for the general public. Citizens are urged to report any hospital that tries to charge them for services by calling the toll-free number 104.
Tanaji Sawant, the health minister, first announced the choice on August 3. To better define the scope of this programme, the government released a general resolution over the weekend. The proposed solution provides for the free provision of services such as registration at the outpatient department (OPD), lab testing, and screenings such as ECG, X-ray, and CT scans. Hospitals are required to obtain a medication locally and give it to the patient for free if it is not readily available. Additionally, there shouldn’t be any fees associated with discharging indoor patients.
In Maharashtra, a sizable number of people—roughly 25.5 million people—go to public hospitals for medical care. These patients will have less financial stress because to the new policy. Hospitals and medical schools that fall under the purview of the medical education department will be exempt from this policy.Officials have been directed to administer free treatment at district hospitals, rural hospitals, and primary healthcare facilities, according to Dr Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of health services. For registration, patients must have a valid government-issued ID with them.
