Hyderabad: State pays Rs 300 crore, but hospitals seek all dues

Hyderabad: The stand-off between the state government and the hospitals continued but the emergency cases under Aarogyasri are being taken as the hospitals cannot turn them away.

The government has released Rs 300 crores but the hospitals state that they will not restart the services till the complete money is released.

A senior member of Telangana Superspeciality Hospitals Association explained, “The government has to release the complete money. The health minister stated that Rs 300 crore was released now and the remaining will be done in September.  But that is not possible. Hospitals are bleeding and they cannot take this burden anymore. We need all the pending dues to be cleared.”

The dues are pending from April 2018. The government has got bills worth Rs 800 crore scrutinised and ready to be released.

Patients continued to suffer on Saturday as the wards were closed and no new patients were being taken up.

They were told to come next week as the services had been shut down. Those who wanted treatment immediately were asked to pay according to the rate card of the hospitals.

A senior member of Telangana Aarogya-sree Hospitals Association explained, “We are not going to budge till the complete payment is done. The health minister has asked us to take less patients of Aarogyasree. Is it possible? Can the employees do that distinction? Will the other patients not get angry? The state government has to come out with a clear cut policy on the payments for the health scheme.”