HYDERABAD: Demanding the clearance of over Rs 1,200 crore worth of dues, at least 200 of the 236 private hospitals that are members of the Telangana Aarogyasri Network Hospitals Association (TANHA) continue to boycott all inpatient services under the Aarogyasri Health Scheme, Employee Health Scheme and Journalist Health Scheme.
Members of TANHA said that they contribute to 75 per cent of all health care in the State. However, caretaker health minister Dr C Laxma Reddy said that medical services under the three schemes have not stopped everywhere, and that all government hospitals along with 15 corporate hospitals continue to provide services under the three schemes.
People can dial ‘104’ to know the hospitals which continue to implement the schemes. “Emergency medical services are offered at 39 government hospitals. Besides, all medical services are offered at 150 district and area hospitals,” Dr Laxma Reddy said. While accepting that dues have to be cleared, the caretaker health minister said that Rs 150 crore was released recently out of Rs 800 crore annual budget of Aarogyasri, while rest will be cleared phase wise.
TANHA members dismissed the statement stating that only Rs 50 crore was released and none of them received any money. Since elections are only five days away, inconvenience caused to poor, government employees would impact the caretaker government. “We will continue to boycott the medical services under Aarogyasri, EHS and JHS. If the bills are not cleared, Rs 100 crore of expenditure gets added to the dues every month. We are diverting other resources to sustain our hospitals,” said Dr V Rakesh, president of TANHA.
The Aarogyasri CEO said that under Aarogyasri and EHS, Rs 344 crores was paid during the last financial year till November 30, and Rs 682 crore was already paid during current financial year till November 30. “It has come to notice of the government that some private hospitals are causing inconvenience to people. Any instance of any private hospitals under AHCT not providing service to the patients will be viewed extremely seriously,” the CEO stated.