HYDERABAD: With talks between the Aarogyasri Trust and the empanelled private hospitals becoming inconclusive, small and medium hospitals resorted to calling off Aarogyasri services for beneficiaries for four days, including EHS and JHS, despite the Trust stating that the services would continue as usual.
By Sunday, 368 hospitals across the state had joined the strike, demanding the government release dues amounting to over Rs 1,200 crore, which have been pending for more than a year.
While members of the Telangana Aarogyasri Network Hospitals Association (TANHA) had met with Aarogyasri Trust CEO Shiva Shankar Lotheti earlier in the week, the talks reached a deadlock, as the association refused to accept the assurances given by the Trust.
The CEO had assured the clearing of the dues, but the members said that mere words would not make them return to their jobs.
TANHA state president Dr. Vaddiraju Rakesh told TNIE, “The major concerns and demands we have proposed to the Trust are: redrafting of the unilateral MoU between hospitals and the Trust, revision of both Aarogyasri and EHS/JHS packages based on a scientific approach, regular payment of dues, clearing of pending dues, cancellation and deduction of approved packages by up to 30%, and a redressal mechanism for our grievances. Unless the Trust shows serious willingness to consider our demands, we will withhold our services.”
Rakesh also stated that policymakers were not considerate of the challenges faced by the empanelled hospitals, especially in the districts, where hospitals bore the brunt of the inefficient healthcare cover system.
The newly extended health cover package, increasing from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, has further exacerbated the ongoing tussle between the Trust and the hospitals, with the latter claiming that the extended health cover facility is unscientific.
According to sources, superspecialty hospitals under the Telangana Super Speciality Hospitals Association (TSHA) are also likely to call off their services in the days ahead and join TANHA to press their demands to the health department.
Trust officials remained unavailable for comment on the issue.