NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday emphasised that poor patients would continue to get free treatment even after rationalisation of medical investigation charges in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and patients admitted to the emergency wing, irrespective of their economic status, would continue to be treated free of cost.

Stating that the rationalisation exercise was going on for two years, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told the Lok Sabha that the charges were finalised after due consultations at various levels, including the AIIMS faculty and appropriate statutory bodies.

Discretionary power

Responding to a calling attention motion on the situation arising out of the hike in the charges of medical investigation, the Minister said the faculty had the discretion to waive the charges. The rationalisation was aimed at evolving a progressive revenue model with the focus on continued free treatment of a larger number of poor and needy patients.

Amid demands from members to withdraw the hike, the Minister said the rationalisation includes the introduction of several new diagnostic procedures. It includes upward as well as downward revision of charges in order to pass on the benefit of reduction in the cost of consumables to the patients. For instance, plain X-ray charge had been reduced from Rs. 30 to Rs. 25 and charges for HIV/AIDS test brought down to Rs. 30 from Rs. 100.

"Most of the routine tests which are generally required for patients are extremely reasonable and even these charges are exempted for the poor. The charges have been computed on the basis of the cost of consumables."

Stating that the patient load at AIIMS had gone up over the years, he said that during the current year over 15 lakh people visited the outpatient department while there were more than 80,000 inpatients. He said people from all strata of society visit the AIIMS and those belonging to the higher economic strata were willing to pay to avail themselves of the super-speciality treatment provided. The resources generated would be utilised to provide diagnostic facilities and free treatment to more number of poor and needy patients.

Expansion plans

Dr. Ramadoss said the United Progressive Alliance Government was committed to providing free, quality treatment to the poor and the needy and affordable treatment to all at AIIMS. Several initiatives were taken to augment patient care facilities and plans for expansion were being undertaken. A new diagnostic facility would become functional within the next few months, which would cater to patients of private wards, and the existing facility would be fully available to poor and general patients, reducing the waiting period for tests.

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