Haryana health official promises timely clearance of hospital dues

Haryana’s Additional Chief Secretary for Health, Sudhir Rajpal, recently met with representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to discuss their complaints about delayed payments under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. This central government scheme allows poor patients to get free treatment at empanelled private hospitals. However, some hospitals in Haryana have been waiting for their payments for a long time, which led to rising frustration among doctors.

During the meeting, Rajpal assured the IMA team that the Haryana state government is already working to release the pending payments. He said the government is fully committed to solving all the issues raised by the hospitals. He also mentioned that the payments are being cleared in a phased manner and asked for some time to resolve the remaining cases.

This meeting was called urgently as the IMA had announced a strike starting from August 7. The strike would have affected health services across Haryana, especially in private hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. These hospitals are a crucial part of the healthcare system, especially for poor patients who depend on this scheme for free or affordable treatment.

Doctors urged not to strike as poor patients may suffer

Sudhir Rajpal made an emotional appeal to the IMA doctors during the meeting. He asked them to reconsider their decision to go on strike because such an action could seriously affect the health of thousands of people. He explained that most of the patients who benefit from Ayushman Bharat are from low-income backgrounds and cannot afford private treatment on their own.

“We understand your concerns, and we are already working to fix the issues,” Rajpal said. “But if you go on strike, poor patients will suffer the most. Many lives depend on these services.”

He acknowledged that some payments had been delayed due to administrative and technical reasons but assured the doctors that things were now improving. He promised that all efforts are being made to clear the dues as soon as possible.

The IMA representatives appreciated the government’s response but remained concerned about repeated delays in the release of payments. They said that many hospitals are under financial pressure, and it has become difficult to manage staff salaries, purchase medicines, and maintain services. They agreed to consider the request and said they would hold internal discussions before making a final decision on the strike.

Background of the issue

The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is a nationwide health scheme launched by the Government of India. It aims to provide health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year for poor and vulnerable families. In Haryana, both private and government hospitals are part of the scheme.

To receive payments, hospitals must submit bills to the government after treating patients under the scheme. However, many private hospitals in Haryana have complained that payments are often delayed for several months. This has led to frustration and financial difficulties for some hospitals, especially smaller ones.

Due to these delays, the IMA had warned that its members would stop accepting Ayushman Bharat patients if payments were not made quickly. The proposed strike on August 7 was a result of this ongoing problem.

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What happens next

The next few days will be important in deciding whether the strike will go ahead or not. The government has promised to act quickly, but the final decision rests with the IMA and its member hospitals. For now, healthcare services remain unaffected, and talks between the government and doctors are still ongoing.

The health department is also expected to send fresh updates to all empanelled hospitals regarding the release of their payments. A separate task force may also be created to speed up the process and ensure that such delays do not happen in the future.

Patients and their families are hoping that the issue will be resolved soon so that there is no interruption in healthcare services. Many of them depend on this scheme for treatments ranging from surgeries to long-term therapies.

Overall, both the government and the medical community appear to want a peaceful resolution. The state has acknowledged the problem and promised action, while the IMA has kept the door open for further talks. If all goes well, the strike may be avoided, and normal services can continue without harming the most vulnerable patients.