VIJAYAWADA : The Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV), a people’s health rights forum, has appealed to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to urgently intervene and ensure the immediate restoration of NTR Vaidya Seva services across all empanelled private hospitals in the state.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, PAV president Dr M V Ramanaiah and general secretary T Kameswara Rao expressed grave concern over the suspension of Aarogyasri services since September 10, following the decision of the Andhra Pradesh Speciality Hospitals Association (ASHA) to halt cashless treatments under the government scheme.
The forum stated that the disruption has caused immense hardship to thousands of patients, particularly those awaiting scheduled surgeries and critical procedures, many of whom depend solely on the NTR Vaidya Seva scheme.
According to PAV, the dispute between private hospitals and the government stems from long-pending reimbursement dues amounting to nearly Rs 2,700 crore, which hospital administrators have described as an unsustainable financial burden. “ASHA’s demand for clearance of dues is genuine and must be addressed immediately to prevent a collapse of tertiary healthcare access for the poor,” the letter said.