5, March 2010
By Snehal Sonawane Sawant
Pune, India
This should put an end to the gripe of hospitals over who will foot the bill for the treatment of injured road mishap victims. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), along with the Indian Medical Association, has worked out a plan where the civic body will pay up to Rs 10,000 for the first 24 hours of treatment given to an injured road mishap victim by any hospital, government or private.
Though the amount seems small, it will at least ensure that hospitals do not refuse treatment to accident victims during the crucial initial hours after the mishap. This and many other health plans form part of the PMC’s Rs 3,196 crore draft budget for the year 2010–2011. Rs 25 lakh has been set aside for the plan for road accident victims.
The budget, presented by standing committee chairman Nilesh Nikam on Wednesday, has also allocated Rs 50 lakh for mobile pathology vans. One van will cover areas served by two ward offices. The budget document notes that illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure are on the rise in Pune. People can get their tests done and the reports will be given the next day.
Pmc’s Draft Budget
- CCTVs for security, more fire stations, ambulances to tackle crises
- Rs 25–crore provision for monorail
- Oxygen park with 5 lakh trees on 100 acres
- Elevated road, subway on Senapati Bapat Road
- Rs 25 lakh for an RTI library
- Rs 25 crore for development works at Urali Devachi, Phursungi
- Rs 25 crore for PMPML to add more buses to its fleet