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Panchkula Ayushman crisis: Cardiac treatment suspended for 3 months over ₹80L dues
The facility, operated under a public-private partnership (PPP) model by the Meditrina Group of Hospitals, has halted services due to a staggering ₹80 lakh in pending dues at the Panchkula centre alone
The healthcare situation in Panchkula has hit a critical snag, as cardiac treatment for Ayushman card holders has been suspended for nearly three months at the civil hospital’s heart centre, coinciding pointedly with World Heart Day.
The facility, operated under a public-private partnership (PPP) model by the Meditrina Group of Hospitals, has halted services due to a staggering ₹80 lakh in pending dues at the Panchkula centre alone. This local financial bottleneck is part of a larger crisis across four Haryana centres—Panchkula, Ambala, Gurugram, and Faridabad—where the total outstanding payment to Meditrina is reported to be ₹7.5 crore, forcing patients to seek care at already overburdened institutions like PGI Chandigarh.An employee of the group said, “We have not been given any assurance for pending amounts. Only emergency Ayushman cases are being handled on humanitarian grounds”, he added.
For nearly three months now, Ayushman card holders have been denied cardiac treatment at the heart centre of civil hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula. The suspension, which coincided with World Heart Day on September 29, continues due to pending dues of around ₹80 lakh at the Panchkula centre alone.
Despite the financial crunch, the centre continues to provide uninterrupted services to BPL families, Scheduled Caste (SC) patients, and Haryana government employees and pensioners.
Civil hospital’s principal medical officer (PMO), Dr RS Chauhan, said that a considerable amount has been released to the centre. “We are in constant touch with Ayushman Bharat officials for the pending dues. Once the dues are cleared, treatment for Ayushman card holders will resume so patients don’t suffer”, he assured.
The matter has already reached the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC). Earlier this year, Sector 15 resident SK Nayar filed a complaint about poor facilities at civil hospital, highlighting the halted treatment. In July, the commission also sought a report from the state’s additional chief secretary (health) and the DGHS on another complaint filed by Panchkula resident Aman Dutt.
By July, pending payments in Panchkula alone stood at ₹1.29 crore, contributing to a total outstanding of ₹9 crore across the four districts. According to officials, the issue dates back to 2018, with ₹44 lakh pending for seven years and another ₹85 lakh accumulating this year.
A senior Meditrina official had earlier claimed in July that including free OPD services for BPL families, SC patients, and government employees and pensioners, the total outstanding amount—including interest—stood at nearly ₹31 crore.
Earlier, 20–25 Ayushman patients were treated every month at the Panchkula centre. With services suspended, patients are now forced to turn to PGI Chandigarh and GMCH-32, adding to the burden on these premier institutions.
The Meditrina Group maintains that its treatment rates are 69% lower than those under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). For instance, while a stent procedure costs around ₹86,000 elsewhere, it is provided here at ₹55,000–60,000. Its CEO-cum-director Dr Manju Pratap has repeatedly written to the DGHS, seeking revision of Ayushman procedure rates in line with updated CGHS tariffs.
