: Private hospitals in Telangana and the State administration are headed for another standoff due to the discontent over Aarogyasri payments and other bargains settled during the last round of negotiations.
Delay in payments is the biggest grouse for the 160 empanelled private hospitals which have also complained of cost escalation sans revision in package rates. Treatment modalities offered by empanelled hospitals in the Aarogyasri scheme are offered through packages. Representatives of private hospitals claim the government owes them more than Rs. 300 crore.
“The delay in payment has extended upto six months this year. The processing of claims at each stage is at least 10 days long, which introduces a two-month delay when claims have to be processed in a week’s time,” said a doctor representing private hospitals in negotiations with the government.
Private hospitals threatened a strike in May this year but called it off only to go on strike in the first week of July. The demand then was Rs. 400 crore. The government sought negotiations, promising to release Rs. 100 crore immediately and resolving issues. The government released Rs. 38 crore in July with a promise of Rs. 100 crore in August, which has not been released yet much to the chagrin of hospital administrations.
Besides seeking revision of package rates, the hospitals made 17 other demands including removing restrictions of some procedures to government hospitals and amends to the agreements promising regular revision of rates. The government had addressed four of the demands in July.
A committee of government and private representatives was constituted to look into the demands of network hospitals when hospitals promised to call off the strike in July. The committee met once and discussed problems as well as possible solutions for nearly four hours. However, all members of the committee later refused to sign the minutes of the meeting which did not reflect the discussions. A second meeting of the committee has not been held.
Private hospitals are not planning a strike this time but may quietly stop serving patients under Aarogyasri, informed representatives of private associations. Corporate hospitals too may join suit.
