Punjab: Top Hospitals refuse empanellment to provide subsidised treatment to MLAs/Ministers

Chandigarh: The move of the state government to provide world-class treatment to its MLAs and other ministers at subsidized rates has  somewhat turned into a flop show, after majority of the top-notch hospitals of the country have refused/not responded to the government’s proposal to get empanelled on government rates (CGHS rates)

It is reported that the Punjab Government had written to a number of top hospitals within and outside the state asking for empanellment to provide treatment to the state’s MLA and ministers at government govt fixed rates. These included 33 government and private hospitals outside Punjab.

Tribune pointed out that while the all government and charitable hospitals in both the state and outside have agreed to the governments terms, around 16 private hospitals outside the state including Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute as well Delhi’s Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, all have declined the proposal.

Many others including Fortis Escorts, Indraprastha Apollo hospital and Max Superpsecialty have not replied to the proposal even after two months. In Delhi, only Medanta seems to have given a thumbs up to the proposal.

Having said that, many hospitals within the state of Punjab including Max hospital, SAS Nagar have agreed to provide treatment at subsidized rates, while Fortis Mohali is reported to have accepted the proposal but at their own terms and only for selected specialties such as cardiology, orthopedics (joint replacement) and oncology. There are also a few hospitals such as DMC Ludhiana and Hero Heart Institute which have agreed to the proposal but declined the CGHS rates bit.

The current system for MLA/ministers’s treatment in the state involved them paying for their treatment and later getting re-imbursed on AIIMS and PGI rates. The government is also planning to change this to CGHS rates which are marginally higher than AIIMS and PGI rates.