After much delay the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed Smart Cards for around 3,000 employees and officials from the Mumbai Fire Brigade. Firemen injured during an operation will no longer have to wait before getting admitted to private hospitals in the absence of the deposit amount. With Smart cards injured firemen may be admitted directly to 42 private hospitals in and around the city.

The decision regarding the introduction of the card was hastened after the Mumbai Fire Brigade lost a fireman, Abhay Mohite, who succumbed to his injuries following delay in admission to a private hospital. The proposal for introducing Smart Cards for firemen has now been tabled with the civic Standing committee and is scheduled for discussion and approval on Friday.

Injured firemen are given free medical treatment in the civic hospitals. “However to get admitted in private hospitals one has to make an advanced deposit. In arranging for the finances, the firemen might lose crucial time. Smart card will be helpful in such situations where admission and medical treatment will be given on an immediate basis,” a proposal from the civic administration said.

M/S Innovative Consultancy In Health Services that is also in charge of the Smart card for the police, has been recommended to provide the facility to the fire department. An amount of Rs 50 per month for 3000 employees of the fire department—total of Rs 1.5 lakh—¿will be allocated for the Smart cards per month by the BMC.

Mohite was injured on June 5 when he and his colleagues were trying to clear a tree which had fallen on a car. However, when his colleagues rushed him to the nearest private hospital, the administration there refused to get him admitted without the deposit.