Providing relief to a large numbers of non-COVID patients, health department has invited private hospitals to register themselves with the Ayushman Bharat scheme on temporary basis.
As most of the big hospitals are reserved for the COVID patients across the state, other hospitals are either closed or functioning with minimum facilities leaving common people, especially registered under Ayushman Bharat scheme, are deprived of treatment.
Following directions from the Union government, commissioner health, Faiz Ahmad Kidwai issued letter to collectors and CMHOs of all districts asking them for temporary empanelment of private hospitals under Ayushman Bharat Niramayam.
The empanelment of the private hospitals will be valid for three months. These hospitals will treat the patients registered under the Ayushman scheme also called PMJAY.
All packages, including government reserved packages, will be made available to these hospitals and already empanelled hospitals for the period of three months. To fast track the empanelment process, the central government has launched ‘HEM lite’ portal for temporary empanelment of private hospitals.
Considering the ground situation, the health department, on the directions of central government, has relaxed some formalities for the empanelment of private hospitals. The empanelment could be extended beyond three months, if need arises.
PMJAY beneficiaries had complained from across the nation of being denied treatment after spread of COVID pandemic. Surgeries of thousands of patients across the state were deferred while other treatments were also not given citing government’s instructions.
General patients were turned away by the hospitals. After a high-level meeting at the centre, it was decided to start health facilities for common patients including ones being treated under the Ayshman Bharat Niramayam scheme as the COVID scare is here to stay longer than expected.
