Mumbai: The Mahayuti government has decided to set up a ‘War Room’ for the integration of various health schemes in the state, said officials from the chief minister’s office (CMO). This dedicated team will make sure the state’s healthcare schemes are effectively implemented and there is no duplication of benefits.
This War Room will work under the supervision of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and Charitable Hospital Help Desk, and will be headed by Praveen Pardeshi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (Mitra).
At present, schemes like Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Yojana among others offer free or subsidised treatment to citizens. However, the state found that in some cases, the same patients had availed the benefits of two or more schemes. To avoid such duplication of expenditure and wastage of government funds, the Mahayuti government has decided to set up ‘War Room’ to integrate health schemes. The initiative aims to streamline the various healthcare schemes in the state and provide immediate assistance to those in need.
As per officials from the CMO, citizens can ask for information and assistance regarding central and state government healthcare schemes and their benefits through a common toll-free number–1800 123 2211. All applications for schemes, doubts and complaints will go through the war room.
The chief minister’s office has formed a high-level committee to manage this ‘war room’.
Pardeshi will head the 12 member committee including secretaries of public health, medical education and medicines, social justice and special assistance, women and child development, labour, tribal development, minority development, divyang welfare and law and justice departments. The team members include the head and assistant director of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and Charitable Hospital Help Cell.
“This initiative, based on instructions of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, will definitely be useful in ensuring that every citizen gets the benefit of the right scheme as per their eligibility. It will also make sure that funds reach the real beneficiaries,” said Rameshwar Naik, Head of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and Charitable Hospital Help Desk.