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Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana | As dues climb to ₹4-cr, GMCH-32 stops elective treatment for patients from Punjab
With the Punjab government failing to clear health insurance dues worth over ₹4 crore owed to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, under the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana, the hospital has once again halted to elective treatment for patients from Punjab.
With the Punjab government failing to clear health insurance dues worth over ₹4 crore owed to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, under the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana, the hospital has once again halted to elective treatment for patients from Punjab.
Emergency surgeries, however, are still being performed by the hospital to facilitate patients.
This is for the second time that the hospital has stopped the treatment for Punjab patients. Earlier in March this year, the treatment was stopped after the pending dues mounted to ₹2.3 crore.
The institute had, however, restarted treatment on August 5 on assurances that the Punjab government would soon clear the dues owed to city hospitals.
Speaking of the developments, GMCH medical superintendent Sudhir Garg said “In August, a total amount of ₹2.3 crore was pending for GMCH-32 and the Punjab government had paid the first instalment of ₹86 lakh. After that, we haven’t received more money from the government. Now, the pending amount has crossed ₹4 crore, forcing us to stop the elective surgeries for the Punjab patients.”
“We are still admitting patients in emergency cases, but most of the people who avail the facility of this scheme approach hospital for elective surgeries,” he added.
Saying that the hospital is admitting patients from Punjab who are ready to pay from their own pockets, Garg noted, “Without funding from the government, it is difficult for the hospital to run the scheme. We wish to provide treatment to all needy families, but the government must clear the dues. The institute provides all possible care to the patients by sourcing medicines, implants and other equipment from companies. But due to the pending amount, we are unable to clear payments of companies.”
Notably, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) had also stopped treatment for the Punjab patients after their dues had piled up over ₹16 crore.
A flagship state health insurance program of the government of Punjab, Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojanacovers 39.66 lakh families in the state.
