By Shalini Bhardwaj

New Delhi [India], August 2 (ANI): Around 650-700 private hospitals in Haryana are set to withdraw from the Ayushman Bharat scheme starting August 7 due to pending dues of over 500 crore.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Haryana claimed that despite multiple assurances from government officials, payments continue to be delayed, with some hospitals experiencing delays of up to 4-5 months.

Speaking to ANI, Dr Ashok Mahajan, who was the Former President of Haryana IMA, said, ' IMA Haryana does not want to withdraw Ayushman services; it is being forced to! Hospitals have bills running into crores and are unable to pay their doctors, staff and vendors. They are forced to take this step to prevent further losses. They seem to be funding this government scheme; SHA pays late, and deductions are made without any reason.'

'Nearly 650-700 private hospitals all over Haryana will withdraw services. Assurances are plenty, but payment is much less! After our protests, the government pays every 3-4 months and then waits for the next protest. Even after assurances from the highest offices in the State, our dues keep on piling up,' he added.

According to the letter written by IMA Haryana to the CEO AB HPA Haryana, the scheme is facing several challenges. 'Ayushman Bharat Yojana, a prestigious scheme of Prime Minister Narender Modiji, is facing recurrent problems in Haryana due to the apathy of the Government itself. Time and again, we have been apprising officials of irregular payments, at times delayed by 4-5 months.' States letter

Earlier, a meeting was also held with the Chief Minister of Haryana and other Senior officials, but none of the assurances were fulfilled.

'In our meeting with Chief Minister Nayab Saini ji on January 8th, we were assured that all the payments will be made in the stipulated time of 15 days. We again had a high-level meeting with CS CPM Haryana Rajesh Khullar ji on February 3rd. There again, we were assured that all problems are being solved now, and after 10 March 2025, all things will be fully streamlined.'

'Unfortunately, none of these assurances have been fulfilled. Payments are still much delayed and irregular; unnecessary deductions are still being made; Processing of cases is also delayed; Grievances are difficult to raise on the portal; and the NABH incentive of many hospitals has been cut under the guise of re-empanelment on the new portal,' it said.

This decision affects numerous hospitals across districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Karnal, which have significant numbers of beneficiaries relying on the scheme for medical treatment.

Over 1.2 crore people in Haryana are enrolled in the scheme, including low-income families and senior citizens. The withdrawal of private hospitals may lead to difficulties in accessing healthcare services, putting additional pressure on government hospitals.

The Haryana government has assured that the process of releasing funds has begun, and they are hopeful of resolving the issue within a week. However, hospitals remain sceptical, citing unfulfilled assurances from previous meetings with government officials (ANI)