The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday charged that it’s because of the negligence of the State government which is causing COVID-19 to spread fast with more than 7,000 positive cases being detected every day in the past six days. Around 5,500 are being treated in government hospitals whereas 13,500 are getting treatment in private hospitals, hence it is important to immediately take up implementation of the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ - the Centre’s medical insurance scheme, said senior party leader Gudur Narayana Reddy
“Thousands of poor and middle class patients have been denied the opportunity of getting free treatment for COVID due to non-implementation whereas scores of people across the country are getting benefitted through cashless treatment in private hospitals,” he said in a statement.
In fact, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had dovetailed the Centre’s medical insurance through ‘Arogyasri’ scheme, he said and pointed out that the Telangana government had informed the Centre of implementing the Ayushman Bharat in December itself yet orders to this effect were not issued till now “The government neither added the treatment of COVID to Arogyasri nor implemented the Ayushman Bharat - leaving the poor and middle class people in the lurch when private hospitals are fleecing them with exorbitant bills. There is no control on charges for tests like CT scan and others, treatment in general wards and in the intensive care units either. People are being forced to sell their assets to pay the bills,” claimed Mr. Reddy.
Had COVID-19 treatment been added to Arogyasri scheme, several patients would have got treatment without any financial burden and if Ayushman Bharat Scheme was implemented, it would have covered treatment costs but now hundreds of families are slipping into poverty with each passing day, he regretted.
The BJP leader accused Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao of making “tall promises but forgets their implementation”. The ₹2,500 crore for free vaccination too falls into the same category as no steps have been initiated to take it up in right earnest, he added.
