Private hospitals in AP halt Aarogyasri services over Rs 1,500 Cr pending bills

AMARAVATI: Nearly 800 Private hospitals empanelled under Dr. YSR Aarogyasri scheme have stopped providing health care services to patients in Andhra Pradesh from Wednesday.

The network of private hospitals decided to halt services after talks between Aarogyasri CEO and the Association of Specialty Hospitals (ASHA) failed on Tuesday night.

However, Lakshmisha, the CEO assured the association that the Government would clear the pending bills in phases but the association expressed dissatisfaction over the non-implementation of a similar assurance to the CEO during earlier meetings. The Government owed over Rs 1,500 crore in Aarogyasri bills pending for the past eight months.

ASHA made it clear that until the dues were cleared, treatment under Aarogyasree would not commence. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Private Medical Colleges Association also cited non-payment of bills over the past three years, including that of COVID-19 treatment expenses, as the reason for their decision to halt services.

Govt releases Rs 203 crore

However, the AP Government released emergency funds of Rs.203 crore for Aarogyasri on Wednesday morning. However, ASHA representatives made it clear that they would not resume services under Aarogyasri until all outstanding dues were settled.

Some private hospitals, however, were stabilising patients under emergency and then shifting them to Government hospitals on humanitarian grounds.