Ayushman scheme stalled in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: It has been three months since hospitals in Punjab have stopped treatment under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana as the state government has stopped making reim-bursements under the scheme to private as well as government hospitals in the state.Such hospitals also include PGIMER, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, GMSH-16 in Chandigarh.The state government has to pay about Rs 200 crore to these hospitals under the scheme.

Sources said the dues have been pending for six months, as one of the insurance providers has been  delisted. The government will now provide the amount in the trust model, where the money is pooled from a trust rather than from an insurance company.“By using the trust model, the state will release Rs 100 crore initially to re-start the scheme soon,’’ said the official.

Sources said insurance reimbursement due to the government, private, charitable and other hospitals in Punjab is pending with the state government. Besides, the state government has to clear the dues of PGIMER, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, GMSH-16 at Chandigarh, which are around Rs 21.3 crore.The government has to pay Rs 16 crore to PGIMER, Rs 3 crore to GMSH-16 and Rs 2.3 crore to GMCH-32. These hospitals have also stopped taking these patients from the state.

“I had one cycle of chemotherapy and needed two more. With the Ayushman scheme not in operation in PGI or GMCH-32 anymore, I do not know where to get money from,” said Savitri Devi, a patient from Jalandhar.A K Sinha, Principal Secretary, Finance, Punjab said, “The issue will soon be resolved.’’Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the amount for the dues has been sanctioned.

On the pending dues of private hospitals, Cheema said the government had also to clear dues to the tune of around Rs 250 crore of private hospitals under the scheme. An inquiry into allegations of malpractices is going on, he added.He held the previous Congress government responsible for the delay and said the government had cancelled the agreement with the insurance company on December 29 last year. Over 700 empanelled hospitals in Punjab started the insurance scheme from 2019 for some 40 lakh families.

Dr Navjot Dahiya, national vice president of Indian Medical Association, said after December 29 last year, the state government had made no payment under the scheme to private, charitable and other hospitals.
Indian Medical Association, Punjab Chapter President Dr Paramjit Singh Mann says until the pending payments are cleared, “We will not entertain patients under any other scheme of the government as we have suffered losses.”