Times of India: Jaipur: Tuesday, July 11, 2017.
Two major
state-run hospitals in Rajasthan earned over Rs 82 lakh in "other state
fee" from patients coming from outside the state for treatment, according
to an RTI reply.
In a reply to
an RTI application, the Sawai Man Singh Hospital, Jaipur administration said
the hospital earned Rs 32.99 lakh as "other state fee" from September
2016 to May 2017.
The earnings
were in accordance with the charges fixed by the Rajasthan government for
treatment of patients who come from outside the state, it said.
Similarly,
the MB Hospital in Udaipur said that it earned Rs 49.80 lakh from 954 patients
who came from outside the state for treatment till April.
The
additional charge was imposed by the Rajasthan government as "other state
fee" from January 2016.
"It is
strange that government hospitals in Rajasthan are charging 'other state fee'
from patients coming here for treatment from outside the state," RTI
applicant Chandra Shekhar said.
He claimed
that hospitals are charging Rs 750 per day for a general ward bed and Rs 1,500
for ICU.
"The RTI
reply said they did so in accordance with the notification issued by the State
Health Assurance Agency (SHAA), Jaipur, on January 1, 2016," Shekhar said.
However,
officials said the additional fee was imposed after thorough discussion at the
time of implementation of the state government's Bhamashah Yojna, which is
aimed at transferring financial and non-financial benefits of governmental
schemes directly to recipients.
"It is
not a new move of the state. It is effective since the launch of Bhamashah
Yojna. To give entitlement to the right beneficiary, state government had to
make a policy," Health and Family Welfare secretary Naveen Jain said.
"At the
time of its implementation, there were various issues. But, it was cleared by
the state government that if Bhamashah Yojna has to pass on benefits to the
right beneficiary then the policy has to be made," Jain said.
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