Chandigarh: The Haryana unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced that around 600 private hospitals across the state will cease providing services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme from February 3, due to the government’s failure to clear pending reimbursements totaling Rs 400 crore.
Reason for Suspension
- The IMA’s decision comes after repeated delays in payments, with the last reimbursement made in August 2024.
- The association has expressed concern about the operational difficulties hospitals are facing due to the outstanding dues, which have caused a severe strain on hospital finances.
- Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY) provides free healthcare services to economically disadvantaged families, covering up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually, but the payment delays have disrupted the hospitals’ ability to continue offering services under the scheme.
Challenges for Hospitals
- The IMA highlighted that hospitals have been struggling to manage their finances, including paying staff and purchasing necessary medical supplies, due to the non-payment of dues.
- Dr. Mahavir Jain, president of IMA Haryana, emphasized the operational challenges: “How will the doctors run the facilities if they keep on giving free treatment with huge dues at hand? How will they clear the payment of staff, and purchase medicines and surgical instruments?”
- The introduction of Chirayu Cards in November 2022 has further exacerbated the payment issues, making reimbursements erratic and inconsistent.
Demand for Immediate Action
- In a letter to the CEO of Ayushman Bharat Haryana, the IMA requested the government to allocate a dedicated Rs 2,000 crore annually for the scheme and called for the immediate release of all pending dues.
- The IMA also demanded that no deductions should be made after approvals have been granted. They criticized the TMS 2 (AB-PMJAY Transaction Management System) portal for its shortcomings and suggested a return to TMS 1 until the issues are resolved.
Impact on Patients
- The suspension of services would significantly impact economically disadvantaged patients who rely on the scheme for free healthcare. The IMA has stressed that the responsibility for the inconvenience to poor people will lie with the health department if the issue is not addressed promptly.
Future Steps
- The IMA will continue pressing the state government for the immediate release of pending dues and the rectification of issues within the Transaction Management System.
