Chattisgarh: 500 private hospitals refuse to work under Ayushman Bharat

Ayushman Mitras are only available in hospitals from 10 to 5, leaving the hospitals helpless for providing any treatment in their absense.

Raipur: In an act of defiance, 500 Private hospitals in Chattisgarh have refused to offer treatment under ‘Ayushman Bharat Scheme’ of the central government citing various reasons including implementation hassles, poor payment as well as pending payments under the previous scheme.

Prior to Ayushman Bharat Scheme, these 500 private hospitals were empaneled under various National Health Insurance schemes (NHIS) and state’s scheme. A good number of patients had been treated under these schemes.

President, Hospital Board of IMA Chattisgarh, Dr Rakesh Gupta informed Tribune that until the government takes initiative for getting cleared all pending payments of treatment done under National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the private hospitals will not treat patients under Ayushman Bharat Scheme.

The hospitals gathered together under the Aegis of  Indian Medical Association (IMA), state unit also stated that they will not be able to work under Ayushman Bharat due to the scheme having poor tariff fixed for the procedures.

Another issue about which Chattisgarh unit wrote to the Chief Medical officers and district magistrates of the states was related to the Ayushman Mitras. Ayushman Mitras are key personnel employed under the scheme for the purpose of registering, coordinating and initiating the patient treatment.

It is reported that at the time of initiation of the treatment of a patient, an OTP is sent to the mobile number of these Ayushman Mitras who also have a unqiue ID which is required to access the software for the scheme. However, these Mitras are only available in hospitals from 10 to 5, leaving the hospitals helpless for providing any treatment in their absense.

" The software is also going through issues and working slow taking unnecessary time resulting in the delay of work. " Dr Ashok Tripathy, branch president told Medical Dialogues.

He also informed that a meeting had been held between the government officials as well as IMA state branch and they have been assured by the officials that all pending payments of the previous scheme will be handed over to them by October 15.

"We are also awaiting the technical glitches to be fixed so that we can work on the programme without hassles" he added

Read Also: Website, helpline number for Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries launched