First paid ward to start at Mumbai’s KEM Hospital today

A 17-bed ward will become operational on Wednesday at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital on a pilot basis for patients willing to pay for better facilities at reasonable rates for the first time.

Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said if successful, other BMC-run hospitals can also follow suit by setting aside beds for patients to pay for them for better facilities.

BMC-run hospitals provide subsidised treatment and procedures and do not charge for beds. The private ward at KEM will have air-conditioned (AC) and non-air-conditioned sections.

Kakani said AC beds will be tentatively priced at ₹1,200 daily and non-AC beds for ₹900 daily. “Many patients, who can afford to pay, want treatment from doctors at our hospitals. The private ward may be feasible for such patients.”

KEM Hospital dean Sangeeta Ravat said other details about the pricing were being worked out and that the ward was set up with the help of donations from the State Bank of India. Hindustan Times