KOCHI: Private hospitals in Kerala have decided to withdraw from being part of government welfare schemes like ESI, ECHS, Snehasparsham, Karunya and the health insurance from April 1, if their grievances are not addressed before the date. The decision was announced by the Kerala Private Hospitals Association (KPHA) at a press conference here on Tuesday. The KPHA office-bearers said private hospitals are facing severe financial crisis with around 80 hospitals shutting down in last three years and many on the verge of closure.
“Almost 70 per cent of services in state’s healt-hcare sector are provided by private hospitals. Due to shortage of government hospitals, welfare schemes like Karunya RSBY and KECHS are implemented by private hospitals without any profit. The private hospitals are facing crisis due to low package rates for these schemes and delay in government releasing the treatment cost. However, the hospitals had been offering these schemes without disruption. In the wake of the unscientific salary hikes for the staff, GST and increase in government fees, the private hospitals are no longer in a position to continue with that,” they said.
The office-bearers said these issues were brought to the attention of the state government several times, but it never cared to address them. “Moreover, the state government is not giving any importance to private hospitals, which are in the forefront in implementing government schemes,” they added. They said that government's decision to bring the new Clinical Establishment Act will further worsen the overall situation of private hospitals. The KPHA has also decided to undertake legal recourse to remedy their grievances in the coming days, they said.
