Mumbai: No question of revising healthcare policy, says BMC

The BMC-run KEM hospital. File pic

Despite facing criticism from politicians, health activists, and researchers, it is unlikely that the BMC will extend its zero-prescription policy to anyone other than Mumbai residents. Dr Sudhakar Shinde, additional commissioner (health), BMC, told mid-day, "It is one thing to let people visit OPDs and take benefit of primary healthcare at the same rates or even in emergency cases. But people come here for surgical procedures. We are spending Rs 1,500 crore on this policy; let Mumbaikars alone benefit from it."

The policy is packaged as the Chief Minister's initiative, which, as the name suggests, aims to provide prescription-free healthcare to patients. This will be done by revising the scheduled list of medicines and adding commonly prescribed medicines that patients currently have to buy from private medical shops due to their unavailability in hospitals.

Doctors write prescriptions for medicines when they are out of stock at BMC hospitals. File pic

However, there have also been concerns expressed by medical professionals at BMC hospitals about the policy as a whole. "The schedule already includes most of the medicines that patients need. Even then these medicines are frequently out of stock so we write the pharmacological name of the medicine on the prescription and give it to patients. Now when there will be no prescription, we are worried about how things will proceed," said a professor at BMC-run medical college hospital.

According to Dr Shinde, as of now, there is no question of revisiting the policy, "but policy decisions are also never set in stone". When the policy was first announced last November, there was no mention of exceptions to the policy. "It was not said explicitly then, but it was implied. If we start such policies for the entire country, then everybody will come here," Dr Shinde added.

Asked if such a decision should have been taken in the absence of elected representatives, Dr Shinde said, "So far, we were spending about Rs 200-300 crore on medicines; now we are spending Rs 1,500 crore. As there is no elected body, BMC should not be spending people's money on those patients who are outside our jurisdiction. Besides, we are not denying treatment to anybody."

The budget documents also state that there will be a study conducted to assess the possibility of a separate fee structure for Mumbaikars and non-Mumbaikars. Soon after the budget announcements, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Sheikh said his party would fight to revoke this decision as "any move by the BMC to have a separate fee structure for patients from outside Mumbai or Maharashtra is discrimination on grounds of residence".

Rs 1,500 cr
Amount BMC will spend on policy