
HYDERABAD: The deadlock over the Aarogyasri services between the private hospitals and the Health department saw a breakthrough on Monday as both parties came to a mutual agreement. With this, the hospitals agreed to resume the services they had suspended 10 days ago.
Private hospitals empanelled to the Aarogyasri Trust, led by Telangana Aarogyasri Network Hospitals Association (TANHA) had suspended the health services including the Employee Health Services (EHS) and Journalist Health Services (JHS) from January across the state.
TANHA members had earlier met Trust CEO Siva Sankar Lotheti, but the meeting did not prove fruitful and the hospitals continued the suspension of services.
It was only after lengthy discussion at a meeting held by Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha late on Monday, that the hospitals called off the suspension.
The health minister assured TANHA that their problems will be resolved and urged them to continue their services to avoid any inconvenience to the poor patients. He reminded the association that the government had already cleared `1,137 crore in one year and would clear the dues in the next six months.
The association representatives appealed to the minister to revise the empanelment MOU and the rates of Aarogyasri packages.
Dr Vaddiraju Rakesh, state president, TANHA, issued a statement that the hospitals were convinced by the assurances given by the health minister and unanimously decided to resume the services with immediate effect.
Dr Rakesh further said that the health minister had assured that the due to the hospitals would be cleared, constitute a committee headed by the CEO to redraft the MoU, complete the revision of packages, so that the small and mid-segment private hospitals would be taken care of and continue to provide effective services across the state.