VIJAYAWADA/RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Hospitals empanelled under the NTR Vaidya Seva scheme have announced their decision to suspend medical services from April 7 unless the State government clears outstanding dues amounting to Rs 3,500 crore.
The Andhra Pradesh Specialty Hospital Association (ASHA) has repeatedly appealed to the Chief Minister, ministers, and senior officials. However, with no resolution in sight, hospitals claim they have no choice but to escalate their protest. ASHA representatives have submitted petitions to District Collectors across the State and plan to meet MLAs and MLCs on March 30, urging intervention to address the financial crisis that has left many private hospitals struggling to sustain operations. ASHA State President Dr Kurukuri Vijayakumar and East Godavari District President Dr Arun, along with other association members, met East Godavari District Collector P Prasanthi and submitted a representation outlining their grievances.
ASHA asserted that network hospitals are under severe financial distress due to prolonged payment delays. Many hospitals, particularly those run by individual doctors, are struggling to manage operations, pay staff salaries, and procure medical supplies. Despite multiple representations and meetings with government officials, the issue remains unresolved, leaving hospitals with no alternative but to halt services under the scheme.
Hospital managements argue that delays in clearing payments have pushed them into a financial crisis, making it increasingly difficult to provide quality healthcare under NTR Vaidya Seva. They insist that unless immediate action is taken, thousands of patients relying on the scheme will face disruptions in critical medical services. The standoff between hospitals and the State government has raised concerns about access to healthcare for beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, Adoni BJP MLA Parthasarathy criticised empanelled hospitals for allegedly failing to provide full benefits under the scheme and burdening poor patients with additional costs. He accused hospitals of misleading the public and not fully honouring government healthcare programmes. Parthasarathy pointed out that Rs 3,000 crore was owed under the previous YSRCP government. While some payments were released, hospitals continue to claim that Aarogyasri does not cover emergencies.
Under the NTR Vaidya Seva, free treatment is available for amounts ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 25 lakh, with insurance coverage up to Rs 2 lakh. Parthasarathy urged the public to report hospitals denying free treatment via the 104 NTR Trust Call Centre, assuring strict action. The State government, led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav, has reiterated its commitment to accessible healthcare, but the ongoing dispute threatens service continuity.