PGI restarts treatment of Punjab patients under Ayushman Bharat scheme

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 5

PGIMER, Chandigarh, has restarted benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme for beneficiaries from Punjab with immediate effect from today.

Informing about the decision, Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, Deputy Director (Administration) and official spokesperson, PGIMER, stated, “The institute has taken this decision on the directives from the Prime Minister’s and Union Health Minister’s offices to restart the programme so that the patients do not suffer.”

A communication has been received from Secretary Health, Government of Punjab, inter-alia, stating that in the next few days all pending dues will be cleared.

Dhawan further elaborated, “For the institute, patient care is the topmost priority. We have restarted extending the benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme for beneficiaries from Punjab from today so that patients coming from Punjab should not suffer. We earnestly request the competent authorities to address the issue at the earliest to enable us sustain our decision taken only in the interest of our patients’ well-being.”

Earlier, PGIMER Chandigarh was constrained to stop the benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme for beneficiaries from Punjab over pending claims exceeding Rs 15 crore from August 1 onwards. However, the patients from the state of Punjab continued to seek treatment at the institute as routine patients by paying the user charges or under other applicable welfare schemes, if so eligible. 

Before taking the decision, the institute had already brought the matter to the notice of State Health Authority (SHA), Punjab and National Health Authority (NHA), on April 1, 2022, May 13, 2022, and June 7, 2022. Later, the matter was even brought to the attention of senior officers of Punjab government.

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