Pune: Several corporators on Wednesday alleged that patients in the city were being denied admission and asked to pay deposits at private hospitals. They also claimed that many patients were unable to secure beds in these facilities.The corporators, speaking at PMC general body meeting, urged the administration to establish a mechanism to ensure that all needy patients, especially those requiring urgent care, received timely treatment without facing obstacles.The issue was highlighted by BJP corporator Dheeraj Ghate, who said he recently encountered difficulties while trying to admit a patient to a private hospital despite the case being critical. He stressed that patients should at least receive basic treatment in emergencies and called for regular monitoring of services provided by hospitals.Other corporators echoed similar concerns, saying private hospitals often insisted on advance deposits and denied admission or refused to extend benefits under govt-funded health schemes. They also flagged shortcomings in PMC-run hospitals, including inadequate infrastructure and shortage of medical staff like doctors.To address these issues, the corporators demanded the formation of a dedicated health committee to oversee treatment-related concerns in both private and municipal hospitals and to ensure smooth implementation of govt health schemes.Responding to the concerns, PMC officials said a joint meeting with private hospitals would be convened to discuss the matters raised. Health department authorities also said detailed information on the complaints highlighted by corporators would be collected for further action.
