Hyderabad: More than 10,000 patients in the state are affected by the decision of empanelled hospitals to stop the Aarogyasri Healthcare scheme because they have not been reimbursed by the state government.
The out-patient load in all government hospitals in the state has accordingly increased by more than 500 patients per day and there was a heavy rush on Monday morning as the word spread that private hospitals are not taking these patients.
In the city, patients were seen milling about Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Osmania General Hospital and Gandhi Hospital. The government has released Rs 300 crore for the scheme but this is only 25 per cent of the amount the government owes the hospitals. Bills of upto Rs 800 crore have been cleared, but the government does not have the funds to actually disburse this amount.
The Telangana Arogyasri Hospitals Association and Telangana Superspeciality Hospit-als Association have decided to continue with the strike till the government releases the total pending amount of Rs 1500 crore.
Governments have a tendency to announce large public service schemes without making the necessary budget allocation; many a welfare scheme suffers from this infirmity which jeopardises the continuation of such schemes.
