Selja criticises state govt over handling of Ayushman Card scheme

Sirsa MP Kumari Selja has criticised the state government over its handling of the Ayushman Card scheme, accusing it of negligence and corruption. She claimed that due to delayed payments and commission-based deductions in bills, Ayushman Card had become ineffective, with doctors refusing to treat patients under the scheme.

Selja claimed that no physicians or paediatricians in the state were treating patients with the Ayushman Card anymore. She urged the government to honour its promise of providing free treatment and to clear the outstanding payments, which amounted to several crores. The government had assured that it would clear these payments by February 28, but the delay was causing widespread frustration, Selja added.

Selja pointed out that the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had repeatedly announced they would not treat Ayushman Card holders due to non-payment and arbitrary deductions of up to 70 per cent from hospital bills. The biggest issue, she said, lay with the physicians and pediatricians, who were not receiving full payments for their services.

The situation had worsened to the point where the paediatricians have stopped treating children under the Ayushman Card, and even orthopaedicians are not taking implant cases, as their bills are also subject to unfair cuts. Selja urged the government to address these issues promptly to restore the effectiveness of Ayushman Card and ensure that doctors were fairly compensated.