by Suman Gupta
Mumbai,November 2017: Association of Hospitals (AOH) is one of the oldest and trusted associations in healthcare of Mumbai. The member hospitals of AOH had recently conducted a free health check-up camps on the 4th November 2017 for the slum-dwellers, homeless and people from low income groups.
Doctors from 43 member hospitals of AOH like Jaslok Hospital, Lilavati Hospital, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Bhatia Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Sir H.N. Hospital, L.H. Hiranandani Hospital, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Sushrut hospital & research centre, Holy Spirit Hospital, MGM Vashi Hospital, Swami Sarvanand Hospital and Bhaktivedanta Hospital & Research Institute to name a few had conduct free camps on the streets of the city to provide free health check-up to the people living in slum area and on the streets of the city. The main objective of conducting these camps was to spread awareness about the scheme where poor and economically weak can avail proper treatment for free or at subsidized cost.
The camp involved doctors from 43 member hospitals of AOH who volunteered for the activity by offering treatment with various medical needs to 7324 people that were examined across the city. The camp covered the entire Mumbai and MMR region using the services of 75 ambulances that covered 98 locations across the city. Each member hospitals on an average conducted these health check-up camps in two locations and in some cases three locations. Post the health check-up around 80 patients were then admitted in member hospitals.
Commenting the initiatives Dr PM Bhujang, President, Association of Hospitals said “Initiatives like these help us break the myth amongst the poor and economically weak that Trust hospitals are not meant for them. With activities like these we aim to bring down the gap and provide an equal opportunity for the poor to take the services from the member hospitals of AOH. People on streets, slum-dwellers who otherwise may hesitate to come to us, would become more open to approach us for medical services and they can step into any of the Trust hospitals without any hesitation under Indigent Patient scheme.
The member hospital of AOH have set up an Indigent Patient Fund where The Trust Hospital annually set aside at least 2% of their annual turnover for the needy and the poor as they are not receiving any grants or any exemption from government. Under the IPF scheme, hospitals have 20% beds earmarked for poor & treat them either free or at concessional rate. Of these 20%, 10% beds are for patients availing treatment free of cost, 10% for patients availing treatment at a concessional rate. The patients whose earning per year is up to Rs. 50,000/- are given free treatment and those whose earning is between Rs. 50,000/- and Rs. 1, 00,000/- per year are given treatment at concessional rate. Member Hospitals of AOH also conducted various free Healthcare camps like Eye-Camps, Children’s examination Camp; Women check-up camp, Heart checkup Camp, Check-up for headache and other physical pain in the past.
About Association of Hospital: The Association of Hospitals has been formed under the Memorandum dated August 6, 1985 and is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The Association is also registered under Maharashtra Public Trust Act, 1950 as Public Charitable Trust with the office of Charity Commissioner, Maharashtra State.
Presently there are 50 members of the Association and all of them are Public Charitable Trust Hospitals registered under Maharashtra Public Trust Act, 1950 with the concerned offices of Charity Commissioner, Maharashtra State depending upon the Jurisdiction. The members being not-for-profit charitable hospitals render yeomen service to the public and bear a major share of healthcare service to the people.
