Team Herald
BAMBOLIM: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday launched the facilitation centre at the Goa Medical College and Hospital for the benefit of patients from Maharashtra.
Patients enrolled under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojna (MJPJAY), an initiative of the Maharashtra government, are now entitled for health services at GMC hospital. The patients are expected to carry their ration cards with them to avail the services. “GMC has now been empanelled by the Maharashtra government under its medical insurance scheme, providing free treatment to patients who are living in the districts bordering the two states. The Maharashtra government will reimburse the amount to the GMC after patients from the neighbouring State are treated here,” Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said after the launch.
He added, “Goa will not be at a loss as the rates offered under the MJPJAY are quite good. GMC receives around 3,000 patients from Maharashtra every month.”
The Maharashtra government had recently requested Goa to waive the fee after which Rane had met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the issue.
The Health Minister had earlier said that the decision to charge patients coming from outside Goa had been taken to reduce the load on the state-run medical facility. “This was because more than 50 per cent of patients arriving at the GMC were from the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.” he had said.
