State - September 20, 2025

Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cell: A Ray of Hope for Needy and Economically Weaker Patients

team maverick September 20, 2025

0 23 min read

Mumbai, Sept 2025 : In our society there are many families, who due to suddenly arising serious illness or accident, have to bear big medical expenses. At such time, due to financial difficulties, many find it difficult to get proper treatment. For these same needy and economically weaker patients to get medical treatment, the Government of Maharashtra has started Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cell. This cell in true sense is proving “life-giving” for many, and behind this a well-organized machinery is functioning.

Objective and Scope of Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cell

The main objective of the Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund is to provide financial help to needy citizens of the state for treatment of incurable and expensive diseases. From this fund not only medical help, but also financial assistance is given to citizens affected by natural calamities. By this, efforts are made so that economically weaker sections should not remain deprived of health services. As per Chief Minister Secretariat circular dated 13 August 2015, No. Mumansani-2015/Pr.Kr.1/Fund Cell, since past few years Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cell has been functioning, and through this cell thousands of patients have received treatment.

Objectives of Chief Minister Relief Fund and Charitable Hospital Assistance Cell are as follows:

Providing medical help to economically weaker patients: To provide financial assistance to poor and needy citizens of the state for expensive and life-essential treatments (such as cancer, cardiac disease, kidney transplant, etc.).
Increasing facilities in charitable hospitals: To assist charitable hospitals in the state for creating necessary medical equipment, medicines or facilities.
Coordination between government and private machinery: To integrate services between Chief Minister Relief Fund and charitable hospitals for medical help and to provide easy service to citizens.
Bringing equality in availability of health service: To make efforts so that poor, deprived, tribal and rural people also should get high quality health service.
Getting help under social responsibility from hospitals: To keep coordination with charitable hospitals so that through their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) or Trust, they treat more poor patients free or at concessional rates.
Quick decision process and transparency: To take quick decision on patient’s application and maintain transparency in fund distribution process.

State-level and District-level Committees

For proper and transparent distribution of Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund, committees have been established at state and district level. These committees are appointed to ensure that use of fund reaches genuine needy.

State-level Committee (Ministry level)

The state-level committee is apex body of management and strategic decisions of Chief Minister Assistance Fund. This cell functions under jurisdiction of Chief Minister’s Office.

Main Functions

To take strategic decisions regarding distribution of fund.
To review applications for big financial assistance.
To control fund flow across state.
To consider inclusion of new diseases or treatments in fund.
To coordinate with all district-level cells in the state.

District-level Committee (District Collector Office)

For providing financial assistance to economically needy patients of the state, in all District Collector offices “Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cells” were to be started, as per instructions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Accordingly, on 1 May 2025, on the occasion of Maharashtra Day, these cells were inaugurated throughout the state at the hands of Guardian Minister/Minister/Minister of State. As state-level head of this cell, Rameshwar Naik is holding responsibility.

In Thane District Collector Office, responsibility of Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cell is being efficiently managed by Dr. Priyanka Yadav and her colleagues under guidance of District Collector Dr. Shrikrishna Panchal, Zilla Parishad CEO Rohan Ghuge, Additional Collector Harishchandra Patil, Additional CEO Ajinkya Pawar, Resident Dy. Collector Dr. Sandip Mane, and District Health Officer Dr. Gangadhar Parge.

In the state, needy patients are provided financial help for treatment through Chief Minister Assistance Fund. As per instructions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, regarding starting district-level Chief Minister Assistance Cells, Government Resolution was issued on 22 February 2025. Further, on 23 April 2025, under chairmanship of CM Devendra Fadnavis, meeting of Chief Minister Relief Fund and Charitable Hospital Assistance Cell was held, and in that meeting, he instructed concerned officers to implement district-level CM Assistance Cells at full capacity.

Needy patients and their relatives in large number apply to Chief Minister Assistance Fund Cell to get help for medical treatment. For following up the application, they repeatedly come to the Mantralaya. Considering the trouble faced by patients and their relatives, from foresight of Chief Minister Fadnavis, with objective of stopping this hardship, this cell has been established.

In Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund, process of hospital empanelment and distribution of medical financial help, both processes are completely free of cost.

For convenience of citizens, and to make application process easier, in each district, in District Collector Office, Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cell has been started. Due to this, applicants no longer need to go to Mantralaya, thereby saving their time and money. District-level committee plays important role in giving immediate help to applicants and local needs.

Main Functions:

To accept applications for Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund in district.
To do primary scrutiny of applications and check completion of necessary documents.
To take immediate decision and approve fund in small or less complicated medical cases.
To forward application to state-level committee for recommendation as per need.
To coordinate with hospitals and keep watch on progress of treatment.
To give information of fund scheme to local needy patients and help them to fill application.

This process is being attempted to be made more and more paperless, so that applicants can get help more easily.

For which diseases how much help? (Limit of financial assistance)

From Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund, financial help is given for various incurable and expensive diseases. Amount of this help is decided as per seriousness of disease, cost of treatment, and requirement. Generally, for each disease a fixed maximum limit is there, which is as follows (and this information can change, so for updated information, official website should also be checked).

However, on hospitals outside the state, Government of Maharashtra machinery has no control. Also, since from them utility certificate cannot be taken, providing financial help to hospitals outside the state has been restricted.

As per recommendation of Chief Minister Medical Committee, limited amount of Rs. 25,000, 50,000, 1 lakh, and maximum Rs. 2 lakh is provided disease-wise.

Cancer: For cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery), large financial help is required. For this, up to Rs. 1,00,000 can be given. For complicated or expensive surgeries, this limit can increase.
Cardiac Diseases: For heart surgeries (bypass, angioplasty), heart transplant, etc., up to Rs. 2,00,000 can be given.
Kidney Diseases: For kidney transplant or dialysis, up to Rs. 1,00,000 is given.
Neurological Disorders: For brain tumor surgery, paralysis treatment, etc., up to Rs. 1,00,000 can be given.
Accidents and Major Injuries (Trauma): For surgeries due to serious accidents, organ damage, mainly severe head injury, etc., Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,00,000 can be given.
Cancer (all types): Up to Rs. 2,00,000 can be given.
Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA): For treatments related to this, up to Rs. 2,00,000 can be given.
Organ Transplants (other organs): For very expensive surgeries such as liver transplant, lung transplant, in special cases up to Rs. 1,50,000 or more help can be given. For this, approval of ZTCC (Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre) or government committee is necessary.
Other incurable diseases: Besides above, for other incurable diseases requiring costly treatment and patient is in urgent need of financial help, Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 75,000 can be given.

Each case is examined and based on medical report and committee recommendation, final help amount is decided.

Before applying in Chief Minister Assistance Fund, following procedure is necessary so that proper use of government health schemes can be done:

To discharged/ treatment-completed patients, reimbursement of expenses is not payable.
Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (Free Treatment): Patient should be admitted in empanelled hospital by calling coordinator of your district (Thane district – Dr. Priyanka Yadav, Medical Officer, Contact No. 9561729824). List of hospitals available on website www.jeevandayee.gov.in.
Charity Hospital (Free/ concessional rate): Information about available beds in charity hospitals in district to be obtained from Charity Inspector / their office, and accordingly patient should be admitted in hospital where charity bed available. List of hospitals available on www.charity.maharashtra.gov.in.
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) (Free Treatment): For patients up to age 0–18 years, free treatment done under this scheme. List of hospitals on www.rbsk.gov.in.

Chief Minister Assistance Fund – For following 20 serious diseases financial assistance is given through CM Medical Assistance Fund Cell:
(1) Cochlear Implant (age 2–6), (2) Heart Transplant, (3) Liver Transplant, (4) Kidney Transplant, (5) Lung Transplant, (6) Bone Marrow Transplant, (7) Hand Transplant, (8) Hip Replacement, (9) Cancer Surgery, (10) Road Accident, (11) Small Children’s Surgery, (12) Brain Diseases, (13) Cardiac Diseases, (14) Dialysis, (15) Cancer (Chemotherapy/ Radiation), (16) Orthopaedic Surgery, (17) Neonatal Diseases, (18) Knee Replacement, (19) Burn Patients (MLC), (20) Electric Accident Patients (MLC).

For eligible patients who cannot get benefit of above three schemes, and are taking treatment in hospitals registered in this scheme in the state, financial help is given after checking through Medical Committee from Chief Minister Assistance Fund. Contact number: 022-22026948 / WhatsApp: 9049789567.

Currently, more than 3,800 hospitals are linked with Chief Minister Assistance Fund Cell. List of these hospitals is available on website www.cmrf.maharashtra.gov.in.

Benefit of this scheme is given to those patients who cannot get benefit of other schemes like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, or charitable hospitals, so that limited fund is properly used.
After discharge from hospital, application for this fund cannot be made; it should be applied while treatment is going on.

Eligibility Criteria and Required Documents

To avail benefit of Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund, some eligibility criteria and necessary documents are there:

Income Certificate: Annual income of applicant’s family should be less than Rs. 1.60 lakh. (Income certificate from Tahsildar office to be submitted.)
Aadhaar Card: Aadhaar card of patient of Maharashtra State. For small children, mother’s Aadhaar card necessary.
Ration Card: Ration card of patient of Maharashtra State (saffron or yellow).
Estimate/ Certificate of Medical Expenses: Original estimate of medical expenses or certificate with doctor’s sign and stamp. In case of private hospital, this certificate must be certified by Civil Surgeon.
Reports of concerned disease: All medical reports related to disease.
If accident case: FIR (First Information Report) or MLC (Medico-Legal Case) report necessary.
For transplant surgery: Approval of ZTCC or government committee necessary.
Hospital Registration: Hospital where treatment is going on must be registered in computer system of CM Assistance Fund Office. (Only registered hospitals eligible for fund.)

Application Process

For Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund, application process is as follows:

Applications and necessary documents must be sent to email ID: aao.cmrf-mh@gov.in.

Download Application: Prescribed application form of CM Assistance Fund should be obtained from official website (cmrf.maharashtra.gov.in) or from District Collector Office.
Submit Documents: Along with application, all above mentioned necessary documents must be attached self-attested.
Submit Application: Fully filled application and documents should be submitted at CM Assistance Cell in District Collector Office of your district. In some districts, online application facility is also available.
Follow-up: After submitting application, to know its status, applicant can contact concerned office. In many places, toll-free number or online “application status” checking facility is available.
Application (in prescribed form).
If patient admitted, geo-tag photo of him/her must be attached.
Certificate of estimated medical expenses required (in case of private hospital, certified by Civil Surgeon).
Income certificate from Tahsildar office (must be less than Rs. 1.60 lakh per year).
Aadhaar card of patient (of Maharashtra state). For small child (paediatric patient), mother’s Aadhaar card necessary.
Ration card of patient (of Maharashtra state).
Reports of concerned disease necessary.
For accident patient, FIR report necessary.
For transplant patient, approval of ZTCC/ government committee necessary.
Hospital’s registration in CM Assistance Fund computer system must be ensured.
If financial help is requested by email, then all documents with application must be sent in readable PDF format, and their original copies must be immediately sent by post to CM Assistance Fund.

Between May 2025 and August 2025, through Thane District Collector Office CM Medical Assistance Fund Cell, 837 beneficiaries received help of Rs. 7 crore 48 lakh 70 thousand.

With FCRA Certificate, way open for foreign donation:

In January month, CM Assistance Fund got FCRA certificate, becoming first state in country to get Maharashtra-FCRA certificate. Hence now CM Assistance Fund can directly accept financial help from foreign individuals, institutions, companies.

Important Technical Improvements – Online Verification System:

In June month, verification of income certificates was directly linked with online system of Revenue Department. Thus, fake documents have been stopped and eligible patients can get quick help.

Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cell is an important and sensitive step for needy patients in Maharashtra. Through state-level and district-level committees, and with clear eligibility criteria, this scheme is functioning so that due to financial difficulties no one’s treatment should stop. The help received through this cell is truly proving to be a ray of hope for many needy families.