Payments pending for 8 months, private hospitals in Mandi, Kullu won’t treat poor patients under Himachal govt’s Himcare scheme from February 1
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The Newz Radar
MANDI: The Himachal Private Hospitals Association’s (HPHA) Mandi and Kullu chapters have announced that starting February 1, 2024, they won’t accept Himcare health cards, a state government scheme under which poor patients were treated for free.
In a joint press statement, representatives of 30 registered private hospitals in Mandi and 13 in Kullu, which are listed under the Himcare scheme by the Himachal Pradesh government, cited financial difficulties as the primary reason for this decision.
The HPHA explained that despite providing cashless healthcare to patients, private hospitals had not received payments from the state government for over eight months. The association emphasised the financial strain on private hospitals as they were obligated to purchase medicines and other equipment on cash from the open market to provide services to patients.
According to the HPHA, suppliers of medicine and other health equipment were reluctant to maintain supplies due to the substantial pending bills of private hospitals, which had resulted in “severe mental and financial stress on private health institutions throughout the state”.
The HPHA stated that about 100 private hospitals in Himachal were currently providing treatment under the government’s scheme, but the government had not addressed their financial concerns. The association expressed concerns that many private hospitals might succumb to debts if the situation persisted.
“In response to these challenges, the association has reluctantly decided that the private health sector in Himachal Pradesh, which provides essential health services, will request the government to clear their dues with a 9 per cent interest rate. If the government fails to address these concerns, the association members will be forced to cease accepting healthcare cards,” it said.
The HPHA added that there would be a token closure for the first week of February, with the possibility of an indefinite closure if the dues of private health institutions across the state were not settled. The association assured that services for Ayushman Bharat cardholders would continue as they were intended for the deserving underprivileged population.
In a plea to government officials and the people of Himachal Pradesh, the HPHA requested understanding and cooperation, hoping to avoid legal actions for not honoring state health cards. The association urged everyone involved to comprehend the challenging situation faced by private health institutions in the state.
