Free Medical Treatment at Government Hospitals in Maharashtra (2023)

The State Government of Maharashtra has decided to make health care treatment including medical tests, diagnostics, and treatment (including invasive surgery) free of cost to citizens of Maharashtra.

This scheme was announced by Maharashtra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant after a cabinet meeting on 4th August – 2023, and will come into effect from 15th August, 2023.

Free treatment will be provided through 2,418 State-run hospitals across Maharashtra. This is a tremendous initiative made the Health Ministry of Maharashtra, and will impact at least 2.5 crore people every year.

The Health Ministry cited Article 21 of the Constitution of India, and the Right to Health as a determinant in implementing this scheme in Maharashtra.

Although this scheme is a momentous milestone for the people of Maharashtra by giving them access to free and universal healthcare, it is still left to the seen how this scheme will be implemented on the ground level.

It is no secret that public hospitals in the nation are prone to long waiting lines and other challenges that a patient may face while getting treated from a public hospital. In fact, a majority of even the poorer section of citizens of the nation prefer to get their treatment done from private hospitals.

Many people borrow from their friends and family, and even at times mortgage their property, but ensure that treatment is done at private hospitals and not government hospitals.

This will be a pressing challenge for the government to overturn this negative sentiment against government hospitals, and ensure that everyone has access to high quality universal healthcare.