MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced that the state government will set up a special corpus fund to cover high-cost medical treatments — including organ transplants — that exceed ₹5 lakh.
Chairing a meeting of the State Health Assurance Society’s governing council, Fadnavis said nine expensive procedures such as heart, lung, kidney, and bone marrow transplants would be brought under the new fund. He also approved the expansion of existing insurance schemes, increasing the number of covered procedures under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana (MJPJAY) from 1,356 to 2,399.
The CM directed officials to prepare a comprehensive policy for inclusive cancer care, with centres established at multiple levels across the state. Construction of the stalled Sant Tukdoji Maharaj Cancer Hospital in Nagpur will be resumed, while Shri Saibaba Sansthan has been asked to set up a state-of-the-art cancer hospital in Shirdi.
Other decisions include:
- Mapping empanelled hospitals taluka-wise to improve access in underserved areas.
- Inviting private hospitals to establish 30-bed facilities in such regions.
- Expanding Aarogya Mitra outreach in rural areas.
- Developing an AI-based mobile app with chatbot support to inform citizens about hospitals, treatments, and scheme benefits.
- Including 25 treatments at the primary health centre level and standardising treatment rates.
- Incentivising hospitals based on quality certifications in line with National Health Authority norms.
Fadnavis emphasised transparency and efficiency in implementing the schemes so that Maharashtra ranks among the top three states in health sector performance. He also called for the creation of a single cloud command centre for tertiary care, and directed officials to ensure every district has integrated cancer care services, including diagnostics, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
