PUNE, June 12 -- Towards effective implementation of the Indigent Patients Fund (IPF) scheme and putting an end to discrimination against needy patients, the state government has directed the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to instruct doctors in charitable hospitals not to deny treatment or examination to patients from economically weaker sections, officials said. A government resolution (GR) was issued on Tuesday granting permission to establish a Special Inspection Team under the charity commissioner, medical education and drugs department; and Charitable Hospital Helpdesk for implementation of the IPF scheme. The team will include the charity commissioner, Maharashtra or a nominated member; principal secretary, medical education and drugs department or a nominated member; and head of the Charitable Hospital Helpdesk or a nominated member. Furthermore, the GR states that all charitable hospitals must implement various health schemes of the central and state governments. The departments must prepare and submit to the law and judiciary department a list of hospitals that have received land or concessions from local municipal corporations or central/state government/district collector's office. The decision was taken during a meeting headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on April 23, 2025, to review the functioning of the Charitable Hospital Helpdesk, officials said. For effective implementation of the IPF scheme, the charity commissioner's office must ensure that charitable hospitals display the status of vacant beds, government health schemes, and other related information. This updated information must also be available online and on a dashboard. Besides, disciplinary action should be taken under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950 and directions issued by the Bombay High Court (HC) against charitable hospitals that avoid implementing the scheme or do not use the online system developed for the scheme. Rameshwar Naik, head of the Special Help Cell, Maharashtra, said that the decision has been taken by the chief minister with the aim that no needy patient should be deprived of treatment for financial reasons. "An inspection committee will be constituted to conduct an audit of charitable hospitals."...