Minister for Health D.L. Ravindra Reddy on Thursday supported the demand of A.P. Private Hospitals Association and A.P. Superspeciality Hospitals Association for the enhancement of charges for treatment given for various diseases under Rajiv Arogyasri scheme and termed the demand as justified.
Referring to their threat to stop treatment under Arogyasri scheme from May 3 if their demand was not conceded, Dr. Ravindra Reddy told newsmen in Khajipet that the government should announce a reasonable enhancement in charges if it was not prepared to increase the charges by 30 per cent as demanded. He said the material costs and power charges had risen steeply in the last seven years. He recalled that the Rajiv Arogyasri scheme launched by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in Mydukur in 2008 was a good scheme taking care of the healthcare needs of the poorer sections.
The Minister said he firmly believed that medical education should entirely be under the government’s control. He added that doctors who passed out of private medical colleges by spending crores of rupees would be keen on earning back the money.
Kondru talks tough
Hyderabad Special Correspondent writes:
Even as the private and speciality hospitals demanding hike in rates for treatment packages under Arogyasri threatened to stop taking cases from May 3, Minister for Medical Education and Arogyasri Kondru Murali said the government would not bow to such pressure tactics.
Mr. Murali Mohan, speaking to mediapersons here on Thursday, said that it was private and corporate hospitals who garnered huge benefits under the Arogyasri scheme. The government spent Rs.1,400 crore on Arogyasri last year and this year made an allocation of Rs.1,600 crore. With health cards to be issued to government employees and pensioners shortly, The Arogyasri expenditure was expected to go up by another Rs.350 crore
The rates for treatment packages would be rationalised as in some cases the rates were too high and in others low. Private hospitals were drawing close to Rs.1,000 crore to Rs.1,200 crore under Arogyasri.
