Blood tests to cost over Rs 50 in civic hospitals after netas lock horns in BMC

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena-BJP teamed up against Congress-led Opposition during a standing committee meeting on Wednesday, over charging patients for blood tests at civic hospitals. Sena-BJP passed a proposal, where except for those from below the poverty line (BPL), all will be charged Rs 50 and above for a blood test. They rejected the Opposition demand that it should be free for all.


Opposition leader in BMC and Ravi Raja (Congress) said, "There are very few poor who technically fall under BPL category, although they are poor. We are the country's richest civic body, we can provide such services free to citizens." The civic administration had introduced a proposal before the standing committee to appoint a contractor by paying over Rs 86 crore. The contractor will operate pathology labs at civic hospitals. where he will conduct blood tests on poor patients after charging Rs100 for a basic test and Rs200 for an advanced one.