TMC to pay up to 50,000 for urban poor in private hospitals

THANE: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has decided to pay up to Rs 50,000 for the treatment of the urban poor admitted to private hospitals for any ailment.
The TMC has made a budgetary provision of Rs 5 crore for 2018-19 to be able to facilitate the healthcare expenses of those, who earn up to Rs 1 lakh annually and are recorded in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) category.

With the costs of hospitalisation and treatment rising steadily, most families with no insurance cover face a tough time seeking donations and often end up with huge debts to pay for the hospital bills.

"There are families with limited financial resources that desperately need help during health emergencies. So we have decided to help these families earning up to Rs 1 lakh, by providing them medical aid up to Rs 50,000," said Dr Ram Kendre, medical health officer, TMC.

Only those hospitals that are registered or have a minimum of 15 to 20 beds will be in the list.