105 Mumbaikars benefitted from special patients fund since Jan

The Maharashtra government's newly-established Special Patients' Help Cell's close monitoring of the Indigent Patient Fund (IPF) scheme has resulted in 105 individuals from the city and 258 across the state availing of the benefit, as opposed to earlier when there were only a handful of bed allotments at charitable hospitals, according to the official heading the cell established in January.

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The data provided by the department suggests that a total of Rs 11.76 crore was spent by charitable hospitals across the state in treating indigent patients. According to the Bombay Public Trusts (BPT) Act, 1950, charitable trusts operating hospitals, nursing homes, or maternity homes are required to contribute 2 per cent of their income to IPF. Additionally, 10 per cent of a charitable hospital's total operational beds are reserved for indigent patients for free treatment. Another 10 per cent of such a hospital's total operational beds are provided at a concessiona