The amount received from claims of patients under the extended Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana will be utilised for the reserve fund of the State Health Guarantee Society and for the empowerment of Government hospitals. The expenditure on 9 types of rare diseases costing more than Rs 5 lakh for needy patients will be met from the reserve fund. The proposal in this regard has been approved in the Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Under Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, funds are provided to Government hospitals and health institutions by the State Health Guarantee Society. Guidelines were issued on January 11, 2019 regarding the use of this fund.

 

It has now been amended, in which 20 percent of the funds received from the society will go to the reserve fund. While the remaining 80 per cent will be given to the hospitals concerned. Out of this 80 per cent fund, 19% will be used for setting up infrastructure facilities in hospitals, 40% for hospital consumables and medicines, 20% for incentive allowances to officers and employees and 1% for programme support information and publicity. The limit of health coverage in the expanded scheme is Rs 5 lakh per family per person.

 

However, under this scheme, health coverage is not available for treatment of rare diseases like liver, bone marrow, heart, lung etc. transplants that costs more than Rs 5 lakh. Therefore, poor and needy patients undergoing treatment for these diseases could not benefit from this scheme. However, expenditure will be made from the reserve fund created with the State Health Guarantee Society for 9 such diseases. This includes Rs 15 lakh for heart transplant, Rs 20 lakh for lung transplant, Rs 20 lakh for heart and lung transplant, Rs 22 lakh for liver transplant, Rs 9.5 lakh for bone marrow transplant (allogeneic), Rs 17 lakh for bone marrow transplant (unrelated), Rs 17 lakh for bone marrow transplant (haplo), Rs 10 lakh for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and Rs 10 lakh for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TMVR).Under this scheme, the incentive allowance of doctors and employees of Government health institutions of the Public Health Department, Medical Education and Pharmaceuticals Department and Urban Development Department participating in the treatment process will be revised.

 

For this, the Cabinet has also approved the relaxation of the condition of the allowance limit in the Government decision dated January 11, 2019 regarding incentive allowance. The cabinet meeting also approved the formation of a Special Treatment Assistance and Empowerment Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Public Health Department to determine the procedures for the surgeries, treatments and changes in their rates under this scheme, and the utilisation of Government funds received as well as reserve funds.

 

 

The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday approved the allocation of land for building a commercial complex, city bus stand and vegetable market to Akola Municipal Corporation (AMC). Akola Municipal Corporation had demanded plots 80/1 and 80/10 in Mouje Akola for building a commercial complex, city bus stand and vegetable market. The projects to be built on this land are in the interest of the citizens. Therefore, it was requested to give both these plots keeping in mind the financial condition of the Municipal Corporation. The Municipal Corporation has earlier deposited Rs 26.21 crore with the Government. Now, the Government has approved the transfer of possession of this land to Akola Municipal Corporation by fixing the same occupancy value. Twenty-five per cent of the net income from the commercial use of this land will have to be deposited with the Government. This land cannot be used for any other purpose. The municipal corporation has also been required to start such use within three years of acquiring possession of the land. 

 

 

The much delayed gauge conversion of Itwari-Nagbhid got a major boost after Maharashtra Government authorised release of Rs 491.05 crore towards its contribution for the joint venture project. The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday sanctioned the State’s share in the 50:50 joint venture with Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) for the 116.15 km rail route. The new route is cutting through one of the backward areas of Vidarbha and BG route is expected to ushers in new development avenues. Although the track till Umrer is completed, yet the Non-Interlocking work at Itwari and Umrer station remains incomplete. Hence, the route is yet to be commissioned. On top of that, the delay in securing forest clearance on Umrer-Nagbhid section further escalated the project cost. Now the cost is pegged at Rs 2,383-crore and Indian Railways and Maharashtra Contd on page 2