The doctors affiliated with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Maharashtra unit today launched a protest drive against the Thackeray government by holding Dharnas in front of the offices of the Collectors, Deputy Collectors and Municipal Commissioners across the State. The main grouse of IMA (Maharashtra) is that the State has unilaterally fixed low treatment rates at Covid Hospitals without discussing it with the doctors or the hospital bodies.

In a press statement the association said that since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Maharashtra government, Health Secretaries and all-district administrative officials, have been unfairly treating the IMA and all other private doctors. The treatment rates at Covid hospitals were fixed unilaterally and because of these unaffordable rates, many private hospitals in the State are on the verge of closure on account of financial grounds,

The unaffordable rates have been forced on the doctors and they are also being prosecuted, by the sending auditors if there are any minor mistakes in the patients bills. At the same time, ministers and leaders have continuously been proclaiming that the doctors are robbing patients. Because of this unjust criticism, the doctors are losing their morale, the statement said.

Hospitals are finding it difficult to meet the cost of oxygen, PPE kits, biomedical waste charges, staff salaries, disinfection at the current rates fixed for hospital ICUs. For discussing this issue, the Health Minister had convened a meeting to increase the rates, and it was decided to hold a meeting with IMA representatives, before August 31. However, without holding a meeting, the State Health Secretary issued a circular on August 31 to maintain the old rates and add more items to the list to make the treatment costs more unaffordable, the statement added.

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