Private Hospitals’ ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ Tomorrow For Payment
VIJAYAWADA: Private hospitals affiliated to Andhra Pradesh Private Hospitals Association on Thursday appealed to ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ to put pressure on the state government to resolve issues related to free healthcare services provided to people by the state government.
Private hospital administrations advised doctors to wear white coats and stethoscopes. Nurses and nursing students will wear their uniforms or scrubs for the Chalo Vijayawada protest. Representatives of all NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme Network Hospitals as well as members of IMA, APNA, APJUDA and AP Government Doctors Association will participate in this excitement.
Private hospitals have already stopped providing healthcare services under the NTR Vaidya Scheme from October 10. Their two main demands include the state government to clear ₹ 2,700 crore due to various private hospitals across the state. The other demand is the inclusion of private hospitals in the formulation of the proposed universal health insurance scheme for the entire population of Andhra Pradesh, irrespective of the social and economic status of each citizen.
However, there has been no response from the state government so far.
Private hospitals say the state government has increased the number of medical/surgical procedures under its scheme to 3,300 over a period of time; This situation imposes a huge financial burden on the state administration. They suggested that some healthcare services, especially maternal and child care, which contribute to 20 percent of cases, should be handled solely by government hospitals/medical colleges. This will reduce the financial burden on the state.
Private hospitals currently claim that 93.5 percent of the population is covered by the NTR Vaidya Scheme.
“It is time for the state government to come up with a permanent solution to healthcare services offered in the state. Only then can these services be sustained without interruption,” said a senior doctor.
Regarding the general health insurance plan, which aims to cover the entire population of the state, private hospitals provided feedback on the financial sustainability and practical implementation of the program for its successful implementation.
Currently, patients across the state are in an anxious situation as their medical/surgical procedures have been stopped due to impasse between private hospitals and the state government.
