Delhi January 27, 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, hospitals providing treatment to people have millions of rupees pending, which has led the IMA Haryana unit to announce that starting from February 3, private hospitals in the state will not treat patients under the Central Ayushman Bharat scheme. This is because the government has not paid the outstanding amount of 400 crore rupees yet. It is worth noting that there are about 1,300 hospitals listed under Ayushman Bharat in Haryana, of which 600 are private hospitals.
Approximately 1.2 crore people in the state are registered under this scheme, which was launched by the government led by Narendra Modi in 2018 to provide free health services up to 5 lakh rupees per family.
This scheme covers everything from regular check-ups to surgeries. Families with an annual income of less than 2.5 lakh rupees and senior citizens, along with other criteria, can avail the benefits of this scheme.
The association told TOI that it decided to stop providing services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme because the delay in payments from the state government for months had made it impossible for hospitals to manage their expenses. A doctor from one of the listed hospitals in Gurgaon said on Sunday, “Without the required funds, it has become impossible to run our hospitals. The payment speed is slow, and new bills keep piling up. Our payments should be processed immediately.”
Dr. Mahavir Jain, President of IMA Haryana, said that private hospitals had been waiting for payments for months. Dr. Jain added, “Our payments should be processed immediately because it is very difficult for doctors to run hospitals without funds. Nearly 400 crore rupees are outstanding. Hospitals have already offered discounts on these medical bills. If they don’t receive at least the minimum amount, how will they survive?”
Summary: Due to the government’s failure to release ₹400 crore, Ayushman Bharat benefits will no longer be provided to 600 hospitals, affecting healthcare services.