Mumbai, Jan 24 : The Maharashtra government will establish "Chief Minister Assistance Fund" cells in all district collector offices across the state to assist patients facing financial crunch, an official said on Friday.

The initiative follows the implementation of the Chief Minister Assistance Fund during CM Devendra Fadnavis' first tenure, aimed at providing urgent healthcare and financial aid to those in need.

The Chief Minister has emphasised that the facility should be accessible to citizens in their respective districts, and based on this directive, the state government has taken a decision to set up these cells across the districts.

Previously, patients and their families had to visit the state secretariat to follow up on their applications.

With the new system in place, citizens will now have access to updates and support regarding their applications within their districts.

Rameshwar Naik, the head of the Chief Minister Assistance Fund, mentioned that this would ensure better service delivery to the citizens, a government release read.

In line with CM's vision, the operations of the Chief Minister Assistance Fund will now be streamlined to a paperless process. The entire procedure for obtaining financial assistance for expensive medical treatments will be digitalized, eliminating the need for patients to visit the secretariat.

An independent online system will be developed soon, reducing both time and costs for the citizens, says the release.

This initiative will make it easier for citizens to access the assistance services in their own districts. The new system will allow applicants to track their application status and resolve any issues at the district level.

Additionally, the district offices will assist the families of patients in filling out applications, visit hospitals of those who have received financial aid, raise awareness about the fund, and provide support during emergencies.

A committee of expert doctors has been formed to review and redefine the assistance amounts and increase the number of illnesses covered under the fund. This will help keep pace with the rising cost of treatment.

To further streamline the assistance process, the Chief Minister's medical assistance cell will integrate its existing online systems with the Charity Hospital Help Desk portal and the CM Relief Fund portal.

This integration will simplify the process and make it more dynamic, offering a single identifier for cases, enhancing the ease of application.

/IANS