Rude shock at private hospitals as patients denied Ayushman benefits

Mukesh Tandon

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Panipat, March 16

Rajender Singh, a heart patient, was refused admission in a private hospital under the Ayushman scheme today. He was admitted only after his family deposited Rs 10,000 to the hospital. However, with the intervention of social workers, the patient was ultimately admitted to the PGIMS, Rohtak.

Narrate their woes

I was being managed under the Ayushman scheme, but now, the private hospital has clearly refused to entertain me. If a patient does not get dialysis on time, he is bound to reach a ventilator — A kidney patient

This is not a lone case, as scores of patients having Ayushman cards were sent back by private hospitals today. With this, woes of patients, especially those suffering from cancer and on chemotherapy, kidney patients on dialysis and heart patients, have increased. All private hospitals empanelled with the government in Panipat and Sonepat districts have stopped the admission of new patients from today on the directions of the Indian Medical Association.

As many as 54 private hospitals are empanelled in Panipat while a total of 44 hospitals are empanelled in Sonepat district.

Chaman Lal, a social worker, said he received a call of a patient Rajender’s family member in the wee hours this morning. Rajender was a rickshaw puller and he was living on the Jatal road.

They said Rajender’s condition is critical and they took him to a private hospital but they didn’t entertain him. After depositing Rs 10,000, they admitted him in the ICU and asked them to deposit more money. He, however, managed to collect Rs 35,000 and deposited the amount and shifted the patient to the PGIMS, Rohtak.

He said scores of private hospitals were not entertaining patients under the Ayushman card scheme. Under such circumstances, a needy patient would not be able to get dialysis or chemotherapy, he said.

A patient said he was a chronic kidney patient and needed dialysis every third day. “I was being managed through the Ayushman card, but now, the private hospital has clearly refused to entertain me,” he said. “If a patient does not get dialysis on time, he is bound to reach a ventilator,” he said.

Anil Mittal, President, IMA, Panipat Chapter, said as many as 54 hospitals were empanelled under the Ayushman scheme in the district and around Rs 20-25 crore was pending with the government.

“The state body of the IMA had given directions to refuse treatment of patients under the Ayushman scheme. We are just following the directions,” he added.

Dr Sushil Saroha, President, IMA, Sonepat chapter, said that the state body had given a call to stop the treatment under the Ayushman scheme after which all empanelled hospitals in the district decided not to take new admission under this scheme.

Dr Manish Pasi, Nodal Officer, Panipat, said no complaint had been received from any patient on the first day. The matter was discussed at the headquarters, he said. The treatment under Ayushman is on in government hospitals, he added.