Chandigarh's GMCH-32 halts treatment of patients from Punjab

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, May 14

The Punjab Government has failed to release a payment of Rs 2.2 crore under the Ayushman Bharat, a health insurance scheme, to the tertiary care hospital, Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, here since December. The hospital authorities have now halted treatment provided under the scheme to patients coming from Punjab until the payment is released by the state.

What authorities say

We purchase medicines and other treatment-related items like implants, etc, from a supplier, whom we pay once we get the money from the state. The amount due now runs into crores and it is difficult to run the scheme without money. We have been admitting patients under the scheme till the March-end, but we cannot extend it any further. Dr Sudhir Garg, Medical Superintendent, GMCH-32

The Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana was launched on August 20, 2019. The scheme is designed to provide health protection by providing a financial cover to at least 65 per cent of the population of Punjab.

Dr Sudhir Garg, Medical Superintendent, GMCH-32, said, “We purchase medicines and other treatment-related items like implants, etc, from a supplier, whom we pay once we get the money from the state. The amount due now runs into crores and it is difficult to run the scheme without money. We have been admitting patients under the scheme till the March end, but we cannot extend it any further.”

The GMCH-32 authorities had last year written to the Punjab Government for the payment of the dues, but the letter failed to elicit a response. “We are also not getting any assurances from the government whether they will be able to pay for treatment provided in future or not,” said Dr Garg.

He said, “Our primary objective is to serve patients and we want to continue the scheme, but with such a huge amount pending, it is not possible. We have asked them that until a solution comes from the Punjab Government, we will put the treatment under the scheme on hold.”

In February this year, it was decided by the Punjab Government that the SBI-GIC, the insurance company that was given the contract, won’t be offering it services after February 25.

The scheme covers around 40 lakh families in Punjab. The government claims to have offered free treatment worth Rs 1,112.41 crore to 9.63 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme.

It is entitlement-based cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year. Under the scheme, cashless and paperless treatment is available at government and empanelled private hospitals.

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