Panaji: The Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) today re-opened its doors for free treatment of patients from Maharashtra.

The premier hospital, located near here, had since January this year started charging fee from patients arriving from Maharashtra.

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane earlier said the decision to charge patients coming from outside Goa had been taken to reduce the load on the state-run medical facility.

This, he said, was because more than 50 percent of patients arriving at the GMCH were from the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The Maharashtra government had recently requested Goa to waive the fee.

Rane had also met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the issue.

He had said the Maharashtra government could either empanel the GMCH under its own medical scheme or deposit Rs 5 crore per year as service charge for the treatment.

The GMCH has now been empanelled by the Maharashtra government under its ambitious medical insurance scheme, providing free treatment to patients who are living in the districts bordering the two states.

Rane today opened a facilitation centre at the GMCH for patients who are enrolled under the Maharashtra government's Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojna (MJPJAY).

"The Maharashtra government will reimburse the amount to the GMCH after the patients from the neighbouring state are treated here. Goa will not be at a loss as the rates offered under the MJPJAY are quite good," the minister told reporters after inaugurating the facilitation centre.

The GMCH receives around 3,000 patients from Maharashtra every month, he added.