Mumbai, Jun 25 (PTI) Leaders across party lines on Thursday urged the Maharashtra government to expand neonatal intensive care facilities and address the high cost of treatment for premature newborns.
State Health Minister Prakash Abitkar assured members of the legislative assembly that proposals to strengthen neonatal care infrastructure would be examined after a committee submits its report.
Replying to a discussion in the House, Abitkar said the government was already providing free treatment through empanelled hospitals under various health schemes and was considering measures to increase Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) capacity in line with growing healthcare needs.
“We have constituted a committee and after its report is received, further decisions will be taken to strengthen neonatal care services. The government is committed to improving these facilities and ensuring eligible patients receive benefits under government health schemes,” the minister said.
Raising the issue, NCP (SP) member Bapusaheb Pathare said Pune’s large population was not matched by adequate government NICU facilities, forcing families to seek treatment in expensive private hospitals.
“Pune has a huge population, but government NICU facilities are inadequate. Families are forced to go to private hospitals and spend lakhs of rupees for the treatment of newborn babies. The government should increase NICU capacity and provide at least 50 beds in major government hospitals,” he said.
Pathare said patients from multiple districts depend on Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital and demanded expansion of neonatal care facilities to reduce the financial burden on people.
BJP member Namita Mundada highlighted the plight of families of premature babies, saying many are referred at the last moment to tertiary hospitals such as KEM, Nair and Wadia in Mumbai due to a shortage of specialised facilities elsewhere.
“A poor family often sells jewellery, property and other assets to pay hospital bills of Rs 35-40 lakh for premature newborns, and sometimes the baby still cannot be saved,” she said.
Mundada urged the government to introduce a treatment cost cap for long-term NICU care under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and other public health schemes.
BJP legislator Manisha Chaudhari called for the establishment of dedicated mother and child super-speciality centres and strengthening neonatal care facilities at the district level.
“The government should establish special NICU facilities in every district and create dedicated mother and child super-speciality centres so that families do not have to travel long distances for treatment,” she said.
Chaudhari also stressed the need to improve neonatal healthcare infrastructure in district hospitals and medical colleges to benefit both patients and medical students.
Responding to the concerns, Abitkar acknowledged the pressure on major government hospitals handling high-risk and premature deliveries and said efforts were underway to improve facilities closer to patients’ homes.
He also urged public representatives to spread awareness about government-funded health schemes so that eligible families could avail free treatment and avoid catastrophic healthcare expenditure. PTI MR GK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.