Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund: A lifeline for needy patients
Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Fund: A lifeline for needy patients
Among the many pro-people initiatives of the Fadnavis government from 2014 to 2019, was a particularly impactful one called the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance (CMMA) Fund, which aimed to provide financial assistance to economically weaker and needy patients for expensive medical treatment. The CMMA initiative was launched by Devendra Fadnavis in 2015, as a part of the Chief Ministerโs Relief Fund (CMRF)Trust. Today, the CM Medical Assistance initiative is active under the CMRF trust, providing financial assistance to the poor and people from the economically backward sections of society for the treatment of major diseases at the government or CMRF- empaneled hospitals. The CMRF trust was established way back in 1967, during the Vasantrao Naik government, but its use was limited. Devendra Fadnavis for the first time used CMRF effectively to impact the lives of the poor and needy in many ways, especially by providing life-saving treatments to numerous patients of major illnesses, on a regular basis. The following timeline presents the journey of CMRF to its present form:
Mar
Nov
Aug
Apr
Apr
Jul
Apr
Apr
Jul
Apr
Apr
Apr
Mar
Dec
Jan
Mar
Apr
Jun
Jul
Aug
1967
2
Mar 1967
Establishment of Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Trust
The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Mumbai, was constituted under the Public Trust Societies Act under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra State. Besides helping people affected by natural disasters, an objective of this trust was to provide financial assistance for treating poor people suffering from diseases. However, there were a few other trusts of the government, to help the poor with the surgery of expensive diseases. The Government Resolution clarifying the establishment and purpose of the Trust was issued on 2nd March 1967. A 10-member committee, headed by the then Chief Minister Vasantrao Naik, was formed to oversee the functioning of the trust.ย
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2001
15
Nov 2001
The scope and objectives of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Trust
The objectives and rules of the Chief Minister’s Assistance Fund Trust management committee were set. The eight objectives of the Trust, made public through a Government Resolution dated 15th November 2001, are as follows:
To provide financial aid and other assistance to the victims of natural calamities in the state and the country, subject to norms.ย
To provide financial and other assistance to the family members of the person killed in caste riots, as well as to the injured persons and persons whose property has been damaged, subject to norms.
To provide financial and other assistance to the family members of the person killed in the Naxalite attack and to the injured persons, subject to norms.
To provide financial assistance for surgery and treatment for patients with serious diseases like heart, kidney, kidney transplant, brain, and cancer.
To provide financial assistance to the next of kin of the deceased and the injured persons from accidents, subject to criteria. Accidents involving automobiles, trains, planes, and boats were excluded.
To assist organizations helping persons with disabilities at various levels.
To help organize educational, social, and cultural gatherings, conferences, seminars, etc.
To provide financial assistance for the construction of educational and medical buildings.
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2015
13
Aug 2015
Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Cell set up by Devendra Fadnavis
The state government decided to provide financial assistance to patients for the treatment of major illnesses using the CM Relief Fund. As the applications from the patients started coming in large numbers to the Chief Ministerโs office, CM Devendra Fadnavis formed the Chief Minister Medical Assistance Cell to manage the fast delivery of assistance to deserving patients by verifying and examining their applications promptly. An executive committee, comprised of the principals of the government hospitals, administrative officers, medical help desk coordinators, and health consultants, was formed.
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2016
1
Apr 2016
Medical assistance provided under Chief Minister’s Relief Fund
1st January 2015 to 31st March 2016
During this period, 7 thousand 93 applications for medical assistance were received by the CM Relief Fund Maharashtra Cell. Out of them 4 thousand 867 patients were helped. 34 crore 82 lakh 8 thousand 679 rupees were given to these patients.
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2017
1
Apr 2017
Medical assistance under the CM Relief Fund Maharashtra
Period 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2017
During this period, 17,150 applications for medical assistance were received by the CM Relief Fund Cell. A total of 13,146 patients were found eligible and given Rs 145 crore 76 lakh 15 thousand 501 for their treatment.
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17
Apr 2017
Expanded the scope of the CM Relief Fund Trust by adding more objectives.
The Management Committee of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Trust had set 8 objectives via a Government Resolution dated 15th November 2001. The Devendra Fadnavis government added two new objectives to the list in 2017.
To provide financial assistance to the NGOs established under the Companies Act, 2013, that are engaged in helping villagers with reform, development, and prevention activities against drought and other calamities.ย
To provide financial support to NGOs, employed to implement CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) objectives.
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6
Jul 2017
Another new objective included in the CMRF Maharashtra scopes to help with agricultural credit
The initial 8-point objective of the CMRF Trust, which was amended by the Fadnavis government to add two new objectives in April, 2017, further added with another new objective as given under:
To provide funds for the govt. schemes meant to reduce the burden of agricultural loans taken by farmers and their families in the state.
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2018
1
Apr 2018
Medical assistance under the CM Relief Fund Maharashtra
Period 1st April 2017 to 31st March 2018
During this period, 34,261 applications for medical assistance were received by the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell, out of which 18,836 applications were found eligible. These patients were provided financial assistance of Rs.188 crore 71 lakh 99 thousand 206 for their treatment.
During this period, 22,093 applications for medical assistance were received by the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell. A total of 8,810 patients were given Rs 69 crore 49 lakh 88 thousand 715 for their treatment.
A unique gesture of gratitude for the CM Relief Fund Maharashtra!
The financial assistance received from the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund helped Vedant Bhagwat Pawar (at post. Kankori, Tal. Gangapur), a child cancer patient, get back his life after a successful treatment. Vedant’s parents and aunt had sent Rs 101 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund as a gesture of gratitude. This was received on 22nd July 2019 and made CM Fadnavis emotional, as the day was his birthday.ย
Ms. Renuka Sunil Gondhali, Vedant’s aunt, had sent an urgent message to the Chief Minister seeking his help for Vedant’s treatment. Taking notice of the message, Devendra ji was prompt to action, ensuring the childโs admission to a good hospital and granting Rs 1 lakh 90 thousand towards the cost of the treatment from the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund.
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2020
1
Apr 2020
Medical assistance under the CM Relief Fund Maharashtra
Period 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020
During this period, 22,093 applications for medical assistance were received by the CM Relief Fund Cell. A total of 08,810ย patients were found eligible and given Rs 69 crore 49 lakh 88 thousand 715 for their treatment.ย
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2023
1
Apr 2023
Medical assistance under the CM Relief Fund Maharashtra
Period 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023
During this period, 14,566 applications for medical assistance were received by the CM Relief Fund Cell. A total of 7,419 patients were found eligible and given Rs 57 crore 44 thousand 700 for their treatment.ย
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2024
1
Apr 2024
Medical assistance under the CMRF Maharashtra
Period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024
The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell had received 32,299 applications for medical assistance during this period. A total of 18,859 patients were found appropriate and Rs 159 crore 66 lakh 82 thousand 500 was paid to them to carry out their treatment..
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16
Mar 2024
New relief objective included in the CM Relief Fund Maharashtra
The Mahayuti government added a new relief objective to the CMRF Maharashtra, making the total number of relief types to 12. Taking reference from the terrible situation due to COVID in the recent past, the new addition was made to provide financial assistance towards preparedness of the health infrastructure in the state to deal with any pandemic outbreak.ย
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6
Dec 2024
The very first decision after taking oath as CM for the 3rd time: Urgent financial assistance for a bone marrow patient
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has once again shown sensitivity by prioritizing help for the needy. Chandrakant Kurhade from Pune needed urgent financial assistance for his bone marrow transplant. Not having the resources to meet this urgent need, Kurhade’s family sought help from the government. Immediately after assuming the charge of the Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis approved financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh from the CM Relief Fund.
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2025
22
Jan 2025
Now, โChief Ministerโs Medical Assistance Cellโ is present in every district.
Following the directives of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a significant decision has been made to establish the โChief Ministerโs Assistance Cellโ in all District Collectorate offices throughout the state. This cell will offer crucial financial support to citizens in need for the treatment of severe illnesses. It will ensure that assistance is accessible to patients at the district level, eliminating the need for them to travel to the Ministry to inquire about their applications. Additionally, the government has opted to implement a completely paperless application process, allowing citizens to access services directly from their districts and villages. A dedicated online system will be created at the district level for this purpose. This measure will greatly ease the burden on patients in need while also saving them both time and money.
A committee formed to review diseases and re-determine treatment amounts
The Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund launched under the CMRF Maharashtra provides financial assistance to patients for the treatment expenses of serious diseases. Currently, financial assistance is provided for 20 diseases through the Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund. Apart from these diseases, there are many other life-threatening diseases, which need expensive treatments beyond the means of poor patients. Such patients should not lose their lives due to lack of treatment. For this, the Devendra Fadnavis government decided to set up a committee to add new diseases in the scope of the CM Medical Assistance Cell. Accordingly, the state government has set up a committee of 20 people under the chairmanship of the Director General of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research. This committee will review the 20 diseases currently included in the list and the diseases covered under the other government schemes and recommend the inclusion of new diseases in them. Also, this committee will recommend the criteria for hospital inspection for hospital affiliation to the Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, on the lines of other schemes of the Central Government regarding medical treatment.
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10
Mar 2025
1.5 crore rupees assistance to 171 patients on a single day from the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund
On Monday, 10 March 2025, 171 patients were provided medical assistance on a single day through the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund. Financial assistance of Rs. 1 crore 46 lakh 20 thousand was distributed to these patients. According to the information given by the head of the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Cell, Rameshwar Naik, 29 patients with brain-related diseases and hip replacement were helped through this fund. In addition, 18 patients with heart disease (heart attack), 17 patients with road accidents, 17 patients with cancer operations, 12 patients with operations from other types of accidents, 10 patients with cancer chemotherapy/radiation, 10 children, 7 newborns, 5 dialysis patients, 5 knee transplants, 2 cancer patients, 1 bone marrow transplant, 1 kidney transplant, 1 liver transplant, and 1 patient in special cases were helped by the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Cell on a single day. Patients or their relatives do not need to make the rounds of the Ministry in Mumbai to get help from the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund. Applications can be made online or by calling the helpline number 8650567567. The application along with the supporting documents can also be mailed to the Special Medical Assistance Cell at [email protected] or can be submitted in person.
Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Service Now on WhatsApp!
To make the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund service more accessible to the citizens, an agreement has been signed with Meta to make it available on WhatsApp. Efforts will also be made to create a separate portal for all health schemes and make the application process easier. Along with this, it has been decided to form an agency to improve coordination in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) projects to increase the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The Chief Minister has also given instructions to use AI technology in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Scheme, select taluka-wise patient friends, include more hospitals in the panel, provide information about nearby hospitals to the patient through geo-tagging, and start a toll-free number to provide information to the public. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reviewed the functioning of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, the number of patients treated, and the amount spent. According to the information found through this review, since Devendra Fadnavisโ oath-taking last year as the 3rd-time Chief Minister (between December 5, 2024 and March 31, 2025), 7,658 patients have been provided financial assistance worth Rs. 67.62 crore.
Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell gets ‘FCRA’ certificate
The Maharashtra government will now be able to receive donations from abroad for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Maharashtra. The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell, Maharashtra, has become the first cell in the country to receive the ‘FCRA – Foreign Contribution Regulation Act’ certificate. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had requested the central government in April for permission to receive donations from abroad for social work under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The FCRA certification is a critical instrument required for receiving donations from foreign countries in India, which is generally provided to charitable organizations and NGOs engaged in social, cultural, religious, educational, and economic activities, other than individuals and political parties. To obtain this certificate, the applicants must fulfill the terms and conditions laid down by the central Home Department. The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell in Maharashtra has become the first cell in the country to receive an FCRA certificate from the central government, complying with all terms and conditions. In 2025, the Union Home Department has, so far, allowed about 244 institutions and organizations across the country, of which 40 are located in the state, to receive foreign donations. The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund has always supported the needy. Now that the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell in Maharashtra has received the FCRA certificate, it will be more effective.
Although the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell has existed since 1967, it was only in 2015 that the funds under this cell started being used effectively for the medical treatment of the poor and needy. Expensive life-saving treatments in private hospitals are also being provided through this cell. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has restructured the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell and made it an effective tool to help with critical health treatments for the people in the state. Now, a platform has been created to access the Chief Ministerโs Relief Fund for help at the district level.
Between January to June 2025, over Rs 128 crores were spent towards the treatment of 14 thousand patients.
During the six months starting from January 1 to June 30, 2025, 14647 patients have received financial assistance of Rs 128 crore 3 lakh 18 thousand 100 towards their treatment, from the present government under CM Devendra Fadnavis. These 14,647 recipients were found eligible for assistance through scanning 25,150 applications. Also, during the same period 481 benevolent persons donated Rs 2 crore 83 lakh 14 thousand 248 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
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21
Jul 2025
Crowd funding for patients under the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund
Now the first ever initiative to use crowdfunding under the Chief Minister’s Assistance Fund in Maharashtra to help poor patients with expensive treatment. A tripartite agreement will be held between the hospital, donor, and the government to provide treatment to poor and needy patients through crowdfunding. If the condition of disease is severe and the likely cost of treatment exceeds Rs 10 lakh, the Chief Ministerโs Assistance Fund will take the help of crowdfunding provided the patient belongs to a poor and needy family or from the economically weaker sections. Such patients will have to submit their applications through the independent portal created by the government. There will be collaborations between corporates/individual philanthropists, hospitals, and the government to address such needs.
Increase of 2 members in Chief Minister Assistance Fund Trust
In order to provide financial assistance to the victims of natural disasters in the state and elsewhere in the country, the Government of Maharashtra had established a public trust in the name of Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in 1967. In 2001, the number of members of the Trust’s Administrative Committee was set to be 12. The current Devendra Fadnavis government has decided to include two more members in the administration committee. Of the two newly included members, one is an expert in the medical/social sector as member and the other is the head of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Trust Cell, who has been selected as the member-General Secretary. Therefore, the number of members of the Trust’s Administrative Committee has increased to 14. The reformed management committee of the trust will have the following members:
Chief Minister (ex-officio Chairman),
Deputy Chief Minister (Member),
Finance Minister (Member),
Law and Justice Minister (Member),
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister (Member),
Revenue Minister (Member),
Chief Secretary of the State (Member),
Principal Secretary of the Finance Department (Member),
An expert from the medical/social sector
Secretary and Special Commissioner of Relief and Rehabilitation Department (Member),
Additional Chief Secretary / Principal Secretary / Secretary to the Chief Ministers (Member General Secretary),
Joint Secretary / Deputy Secretary to the Chief Ministers (Member General Secretary),
Deputy Director/Assistant Director of Funds and Accounts Department (Member General Secretary) and
Head of the Chief Minister’s Assistance Fund Trust Cell (Member General Secretary).
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CM Medical Assistance: A Ray of Hope for the Economically Weaker Sections
The Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance initiative under the CMRF Maharashtra has evolved through the years, into an assured support for needy and economically weaker citizens to meet their need for life-saving treatments. Numerous families are getting happiness back due to this initiative when their loved ones return home after successful treatment. Apart from that, the CMRF Maharashtraย has also expanded its scope to provide financial aid for other health and rehabilitation needs for the citizens of Maharashtra, thanks to the visionary leadership of Devendra Fadnavis.
