AB-PMJAY: Ahmedabad Hospital awaiting Rs 25 Crore payment from MP Govt

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital, particularly its Cancer department —Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI) — is grappling with significant financial strain due to pending reimbursements under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). The Madhya Pradesh government has an outstanding debt of over Rs 25 crore for cancer treatments provided to more than 3,000 patients, which has been unresolved for over a year.

Under the guidelines of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, state governments are required to process and release payments within 41 days of the service being provided. Despite this, many states have failed to adhere to the timeline. This has resulted in the mounting debts for hospitals.

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Gujarat has emerged as a healthcare hub, attracting patients from across the country, particularly from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. However, the delay in reimbursement has put immense pressure on hospitals.

Gujarat Cancer Research Institute is not just the only healthcare facility to suffer financial burden but also leading healthcare institutions in Ahmedabad are facing financial challenges due to delayed payments under PMJAY from the Madhya Pradesh government.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme, India’s flagship healthcare initiative provides free treatment to financially weak citizens. Patients from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, and other states often travel to Gujarat’s premier medical institutions like the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI) and Civil Hospital for treatments.

As per Gujarat Samachar news report, a growing issue has also emerged apart from Gujarat where several other states have delayed paying for the medical treatment provided to their residents.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in the aftermath of the Khyati Multispeciality Hospital scam where two Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) beneficiaries died following botched angioplasty procedures, the Gujarat government announced new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for hospitals empanlled under the scheme.

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