Coronavirus in Pune: Civic body to invoke MESMA if doctors and nurses refuse to treat COVID cases in private hospitals

In a significant move, the Pune administration has evoked the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), 2006 empowering the authorities to initiate action against doctors and nurses from private hospitals refusing to treat coronavirus patients. Pune Municipal Corporation has issued a notification asking doctors and nurses to treat COVID and non-COVID patients in private hospitals where 80% of beds are reserved for COVID and 20% for non-COVID patients.

The government has recently issued a notification whereby 80:20 beds for COVID and non-COVID patients in private hospitals are reserved across the state. The government has also issued notification for covering these patients under the state health insurance scheme titled Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.

Pune is a coronavirus hotspot with 7,223 progressive positive cases of which 3,484 are active. Until recently, the patients were treated in the government and civic hospitals but with the government decision it is mandatory for the private hospitals to reserve 80% per cent beds for COVID patients.

A senior officer told FPJ, "Pune Municipal Corporation has issued notice whereby the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act, 2006 will be invoked if the doctors and nurses from private hospitals with bed capacity ranging between 30 and 500 beds refused to treat COVID patients.’’

However, the Indian Medical Association Maharashtra State President Dr. Avinash Bhondwe said invoking MESMA against doctors and nurses is very harsh decision. ‘’IMA Maharashtra State disagrees with such harsh step. The reasons for not joining the services should be asked, discussed and then the notice can be served. Ironically, there is no uniformity in the decisions and orders. Every time sending the notices with threats give a feeling that we are not the highly educated doctors serving the society but are criminals,’’ he noted.

8,381 COVID patients discharged on Friday:

Maharashtra Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the state has state set a record wherein 8,381 coronavirus patients were discharged in a single day. In Maharashtra in all 26,997 patients were so far discharged while there are  33,124 active patients undergoing treatment. The recovery rate is 3.3 per cent and only 1.5% of patients are on ventilators while 95% are under-recovery.

As far as Mumbai is concerned, 16,000 patients were discharged while 19,000 are active patients. BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation is strengthening the bed capacity and with the government decision on reservation of 80% beds for COVID and 20% for non-COVID beds nearly 12,000 beds will be available in private hospitals in Greater Mumbai.