NEW DELHI: Pending dues running into crores of rupees in the Delhi government have pushed 82 small hospitals to the verge of bankruptcy. The hospitals have accused the city government of long delay in compensating them for the surgeries conducted on patients covered under the Delhi government’s flagship scheme, the Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK).
These hospitals are empanelled to carry out the scheme. Sources in the health department said the amount pending against surgeries is estimated over Rs 30 crore accumulated over more than seven months.
“On average, each hospital is due to receive at least Rs 30 lakh. Many have a pending amount as high as Rs 1 crore. We are small healthcare set-ups. For us, such dues could lead to bankruptcy,” said a hospital owner.
The hospitals accused the health department of making excuses every time they demand dues’ clearance.
“Earlier, it was staff crunch, now they say the model code of conduct imposed ahead of the MCD polls doesn’t allow them to compensate us,” he said.
Sources said that the contract of the ad hoc staff in the accounts department of DGHS ended in July, which may have led to the delay. Dr Pankaj Solanki, medical director, of Dharamveer Solanki Hospital, who has been struggling to get Rs 64 lakh dues from the health department for over five months, has threatened the government with “extreme action,” The Directorate General of Health Services, which is the implementing agency of DAK, has not responded to calls made by this newspaper.
Left in the lurch
On average, each hospital is due to receive at least L30 lakh. Many have pending dues as high as L1 crore, sources say
Launched in 2017, DAK offers L5 lakh towards check-ups, treatment, and surgeries to Delhi residents in all the empanelled hospitals
Between 2017 and March 2022, the city govt spent L168.43cr on the treatment of 4.27 lakh patients