Pune: The process to approve and disburse assistance from the Chief Minister Relief Fund is set to become significantly faster with the decision that applications will now be approved within eight working hours of submission and a new online system to facilitate the procedure will be launched soon.It is expected to expedite financial aid for medical treatment of needy patients and those from economically weaker sections.Head of the CM’s assistance fund and charitable hospitals assistance cell Rameshwar Naik said the online system was being developed with the primary objective to ensure that patients received medical treatment on time. “The application approval process would be completed within just eight office hours, provided all documents are in order and in compliance with the regulations,” he added.CM Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to officially inaugurate the new system soon, following which it will be effectively implemented across the entire state. A pilot project is being tested, at present, and needy patients may contact the toll-free number 1800 123 2211.In tandem with the CM’s assistance cell, an updated online system for charitable hospitals is also being launched. Under the new system, the hospitals affiliated with the cell can directly submit applications instead of patients or their families. Resultantly, patients would no longer be required to fill out any application forms, streamlining theprocess and accelerating approvals.Naik further said, “CM Relief Fund has the largest network of over 4,000 empanelled hospitals. In the last financial year, it provided assistance to40,776 patients across the state and disbursed over Rs333 crore for treatment. Over 20 diseases are covered under the scheme. The eligibility criteria is an income of Rs1.5 lakh a month. Only the Aadhaar card and income certificate of the patient need to be submitted. The hospital will provide the remaining documents.“Over the last year, efforts have been underway to implement innovative, patient-friendly changes within both the CM’s assistance fund and the charitable hospitals assistance cell. The new online system for the CM Relief Fund serves as an integral part of the ongoing initiatives. Once all the requisite documents of a patient are given to the hospital administration, it will be forwarded to the CM’s assistance fund office for approval. The initiative will provide immense relief to patients and their relatives, added Naik.
