Maharashtra govt to fund treatment of 9 rare diseases beyond Rs 5 lakh

Mumbai, Sep 23 (PTI) The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to use reserve funds from the state health insurance schemes for the treatment of nine critical diseases where the cost exceeds Rs 5 lakh.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Under the expanded Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, 20 per cent of claim settlements will now be diverted to a reserve fund managed by the State Health Assurance Society, said a release from the Chief Minister's Office.

This fund will cover expensive procedures such as liver, lung, heart and bone marrow transplants which are currently not covered under the existing Rs 5 lakh ceiling, the statement said.

The state will bear a cost of up to Rs 22 lakh for a liver transplant, Rs 20 lakh for lung or combined heart-lung transplants, Rs 15 lakh for heart transplant, Rs 9.5 to 17 lakh for various bone marrow transplants, and Rs 10 lakh each for trans-catheter aortic valve transplant (TAVI) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TMVR) heart valve procedures.

The cabinet also approved revisions in incentive allowances for doctors and staff at government hospitals involved in these treatments. A special committee headed by the health secretary will be constituted to oversee surgical rates, fund utilisation and hospital strengthening measures, the release said.

In other decisions, the cabinet sanctioned Rs 491.05 crore as the state's share for converting the 116.15 km Nagpur-Nagbhid narrow-gauge line into a broad-gauge track.

The Rs 2,383-crore project, being executed by the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (MahaRail), is nearly 85 per cent complete. With the revised plan, the state's share has risen from 20 per cent to 32.37 per cent. Out of its total commitment of Rs 771.05 crore, the state has already paid Rs 280 crore, and Tuesday's approval clears the balance of Rs 491.05 crore.

The statement said the project will significantly improve connectivity across Nagpur, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts, boost local industries, and benefit farmers. It will also link Nagbhid to Wadsa-Desaiganj and further with Gadchiroli and Gondia.

The allotment of land at Achole in Palghar district to the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation for setting up a multi-specialty hospital also received the cabinet's nod.

The plot, earlier reserved for a district court and residential purposes, was reallocated for healthcare infrastructure considering the city's rapidly growing population and rising demand for modern medical facilities.

The land has been handed over with conditions that it must be used solely for the hospital and protected from encroachments, the statement said.

The cabinet also decided to allot a 1,055.25 sqmt plot of land at Deolali in Nashik district at a concessional rate to the Nashik Road branch of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad.

A proposal for collective redevelopment of about 4,973 housing units in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Nagar, Andheri (West), through the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) was approved.

The plots, allotted under a World Bank project in 1993, presently house 98 cooperative housing societies, 24 high-income group apartments, and several individual plots. The statement said the integrated project will provide residents with more spacious homes.

The cabinet also approved allotment of land in Akola for the construction of a city bus stand, commercial complex and vegetable market.

It also granted stamp duty and registration fee concessions for Co-operative Meenakshitai Sane Mahila Bidi Kamgar Housing Society, which is executing a housing project for women bidi workers at Mouje Kumbhari.

Stamp duty of Rs 6.30 crore and registration fees of Rs 2.62 crore were waived. PTI MR KRK