MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government will waive taxes on medicines for dialysis and kidney-related treatment. It will also come up with a special law to curb malpractices in paramedical services, like pathology laboratories, and regulate their fees and overall functioning. Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, while replying to a debate on his budget in the state assembly, had earlier announced a waiver for medicines required for cancer and heart patients.

Mungantiwar, in his budget speech, had promised to list out cancer medicines which will be notified for tax waiver soon. Sources said even machinery and surgical equipment required for dialysis and kidney treatment may get some waivers, taking into consideration the high cost of such treatment in private hospitals. Officials said advanced machinery for dialysis was available only at private hospitals.

The tax on `guide wire`, required for medical treatment of heart patients, has also been reduced from 12.5% to 5%, which will ultimately reduce the cost of heart treatment and operations from the beginning of the new fiscal. Replying to a calling attention motion over the alleged bogus operation of pathology labs and exorbitant fees charged by them from poor patients in the state, education minister Vinod Tawde said the Maharashtra Paramedical Council Bill (2011) would have to be redrafted t...