Telangana Hospitals Stops Health Services under Arogyasri Scheme!

Healthcare services under Telangana's Arogyasri scheme were halted on Friday. About 240 private hospitals in the state had stopped providing services over non-payment of dues to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore by the state government. Though Health Minister Etela Rajender and Telangana Network Hospitals Association (TNHA) discussed on this, the talks between them failed to find a solution. “The government will immediately release Rs 200 crore,” the minister said after the talks with representatives of TNHA. The decision will be taken on the demand to increase the charges for various services after consulting Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

However, TNHA demanded to pay the total due of Rs 1500 crores. Many hospitals in Telangana had stopped the services under Arogyasri, Employees' Health Scheme (EHS) and Journalists' Health Scheme (JHS). TNHA made it clear that they will not start providing the services until the government makes a clear assurance over the payment total due. Over 80 lakh Below Poverty Line (BPL) families are provided free healthcare facilities in private hospitals under Arogyasri. The scheme was launched by the then Chief Minister Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy when the state is undivided.

The hospitals stopped the services many times in the last four years for not getting the dues by the government. Hospitals are also demanding the revision of rates of different packages which comes under the schemes. If this continues, it is common for people who have to suffer, but not doctors or the government. People are worried about the issue and demanding government to clear the dues. We have to wait and see how KCR reacts on the issue.