Chandigarh: The Haryana
unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised concern over persistent delays
in payments under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, noting that outstanding dues to
empanelled hospitals in the state have exceeded Rs 400 crore.Also Read:HC sets aside expulsion of 2 more MBBS students in alleged exam malpractice caseIn a letter addressed to
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the association highlighted the gravity of
the issue. Although the Finance Department
released funds to the Ayushman Bharat-Haryana Health Protection Authority (HHPA)
in the first week of November, procedural bottlenecks have prevented the
disbursement of the allocated amounts so far. They claim to have cleared the
payments up to December, but payments for numerous intermediate cases remain
outstanding. Payments under the SECC category have only just begun to be
processed.
IMA Haryana president Dr Sunila Soni said, “We were extremely pleased to
note that, during the recently concluded Budget Session, you dedicated a
special session specifically to this scheme. We express our gratitude to you
for considering and addressing the issues related to this scheme, and we commend
your efforts toward resolving the challenges currently being faced in its
implementation.”
“However, upon reviewing
some of the statistics presented, it appears that your officials are misleading
you. We refrained from raising this issue earlier because you were occupied
with the Budget Session, and we did not wish to cause any disruption to it. We
would like to draw your attention to some of the issues currently being faced
by the hospitals included in the Ayushman panel,” she further added.
The association pointed
out that payments remain significantly delayed, though they are supposed to be
processed within 15 days of filing an application; however, payments dating
back as far as September 25th are currently still pending. Complaints are
raised, yet payments are not released even after these complaints have been
resolved. The hospitals claim that, to date, outstanding dues amounting to over
Rs. 400 crore remain pending.
Moreover, the association
pointed out that the HHPA currently lacks a full-time appointed CEO, a
situation that has resulted in a policy-related deadlock. Despite the best
efforts of the Link Officer, his hands remain tied due to a lack of authority. Chief
Minister himself had approved, in January 2025, the appointment of the
President of the IMA Haryana—or his designated representative—as a member of
the various panels and grievance committees; however, this directive has not
yet been implemented.Also Read:Small hospitals get relief under Kerala Clinical Establishments ActFurthermore, meetings
of these committees are supposed to be held every month, yet they have not
taken place for the past five months. This has adversely impacted the induction
of new members into the panels, as well as the approval of new medical specialties.
“You have always listened to our concerns and resolved them. We would be deeply
grateful if you could extend the same support to resolve these issues
pertaining to the Ayushman Scheme,” the letter mentioned. The IMA has urged the chief minister to personally step in and ensure smoother processing of payments, cautioning that continued delays could potentially disrupt services provided under the flagship health insurance programme.