So far, 87 GBS patients have been treated for free under Mahatma Phule health scheme: Minister

Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar addresses the legislative assembly on Wednesday. Pic/X

Eighty-seven patients of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) have received free treatment under the state government's Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), Minister Prakash Abitkar on Wednesday told the legislative assembly on Day 3 of the Maharashtra Budget Session 2025, reported news agency PTI.

Abitkar said that the state government has included GBS in its Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) for treatment of patients under the scheme.

According to PTI, he also informed that the Maharashtra government was working on framing a policy to stop contamination of water in order to prevent illnesses caused by it.

While debating on the GBS outbreak, the health minister stated that it was not a contagious disease like Covid-19 and spreads because of contaminated water.

People get affected by the disease if their immunity levels are low, Abitkar said, according to PTI.

"Meat consumption has nothing to do with GBS. Its outbreak was found in Pune because there was no chlorination of water in the Khadakwasla dam (that provides water to the city)," he said.

Maharashtra Budget Session 2025: Policy decision needed to stop water contamination

The reply came after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Chetan Tupe, who represents the Hadapsar Assembly Constituency in Pune district, said contaminated water was a result of unregulated construction activity along the dams and unrestricted expansion of urban pockets.

To this, Abitkar replied that a policy decision was required to regulate construction and stop water contamination.

GBS was included in the Mahatma Phule health scheme, under which its treatment cost of up to Rs 2 lakh was covered, the minister informed, adding that the government would increase this limit.

So far, 87 GBS patients have been treated for free under the scheme, the minister said.

The cause of all illnesses is contaminated water, he said, adding that water purification is necessary and the government will make a policy decision.

After the first GBS patient was detected in Pune district on January 9, a total of 222 suspected cases were found till March 3, of which 193 were confirmed ones. Six patients have died in Pune and one in Mumbai. But there was no rise in the number of patients, he said.

(With PTI inputs)