HP: Private clinics reluctant to continue services over non-payment of Rs 80 crore for healthcare schemes
Solan: Ayushman Bharat (AB) and Mukhya Mantri Himachal Health Care Yojana (HIMCARE), two flagship programmes of the federal government and the state are facing major setbacks as a result of the ongoing non-payment of about Rs 80 crore to private clinics and Rogi Kalyan Samitis (RKS) at government hospitals.
In order to provide cashless services, RKS and private hospitals empanelled under the programme get funding from the state government, which fully covers HIMCARE. The state is responsible for paying 10 percent of its share for the AB scheme and the rest of the 90 percent will be born by the Centre.
Due to the delay in receiving payments worth millions of dollars, the private clinics are now hesitant to offer services under the two programmes. According to the Una-faction of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the state government has until January 19 to clear the dues, after which the private hospitals will stop offering these treatments.
A private doctor practising in Solan stated that he had been delivering medical treatments under the HIMCARE programme for about eight months and the Ayushman Bharat programme for nearly a year and was still awaiting payment of Rs 1.5 crore, reports The Tribune.
“Private hospitals have been burdened with expenditure on drugs, implants, staff salaries, etc. The non-reimbursement of their bills for a year has made it difficult to sustain the two schemes any further,” said another private doctor.
Dr. RK Sood, IMA's representative in Solan also expressed his similar views and stated that if the remaining amount were not paid, they would soon be obliged to quit offering health services under the two schemes.
Devender, the state's nodal officer for the two programmes stated that Rs 80 crore in lieu of the state's responsibility under these programmes was still pending. The Centre would release its 90% share once the state had paid its 10% part under the AB scheme. He claimed that the state administration had received a request to clear the outstanding amount at the earliest, reports the daily.
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