HYDERABAD: Patients arriving at government hospitals expecting free treatment are instead being handed handwritten slips and directed to nearby medical shops to buy essential surgical consumables, as a payment dispute between the government and suppliers begins to affect patient care.
The situation has reportedly hit several major government hospitals, including Gandhi Hospital, Osmania General Hospital and Niloufer Hospital, where suppliers say they have suspended deliveries since June over long-pending payment dues despite repeated representations to the government.
According to the Twin Cities Hospitals Suppliers Association (THSA), only limited payments have been released so far, largely towards medicines, while dues for surgical consumables remain unpaid.
They claimed that pending payments include Rs 128 crore from the Telangana Medical Services Infrastructure Development Corporation (TGMSIDC), Rs 7 crore each from Gandhi and Niloufer hospitals, Rs 4.5 crore from Osmania General Hospital, Rs 1.5 crore each from Modern Government Maternity Hospital, Petlaburj, and ENT Hospital, and Rs 1.25 crore from Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital.
It also alleged that Aarogyasri reimbursements worth Rs 18 crore from Osmania General Hospital, Rs 9 crore from Gandhi Hospital and Rs 5 crore from Niloufer Hospital are pending.
“We have stopped supplying surgical consumables, including syringes, gloves, catheters and dialysis products, due to pending payments since 2022. Supplies will resume only after the dues are cleared,” said K B Ramachandra, president of THSA.
The impact, suppliers claim, is now being felt directly by patients. Patients at Gandhi Hospital alleged that doctors were issuing handwritten slips asking them to purchase implants, catheters and other consumables from private pharmacies because the items were unavailable in the hospital.
“We came to a government hospital because we couldn’t afford private treatment, but we were asked to buy gloves, catheters and other surgical items from outside. We spent nearly Rs 6,000 in a day. We expected free treatment, but the cost of surgical supplies has become a huge burden,” said an attendant, requesting anonymity.
When TNIE contacted Gandhi Hospital and Osmania General Hospital for a response on the reported shortage of surgical consumables, no information was made available.
