Selja slams state govt over Ayushman scheme delays

Sirsa MP Kumari Selja has raised serious concerns over the poor state of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Haryana and the worsening drug problem in Sirsa district. Speaking to mediapersons, Selja said 675 private hospitals in Haryana will stop treating Ayushman card holders from August 7, as Rs 500 crore in payments have been pending since April. Under national rules, hospitals should be paid within 15 to 30 days, but dues have not been cleared for five months. She said the delay is hurting poor patients who depend on the scheme for life-saving treatments.

According to the Lok Sabha data, Haryana has issued 1.35 crore Ayushman cards and approved over 26 lakh hospitalisations worth Rs 3,990 crore. The Centre has released Rs 607 crore so far, with costs split 60:40 between Centre and state. Selja criticised the state for cutting the health budget by Rs 622 crore while announcing costly medical colleges in each district.