BJP chief J P Nadda asked Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday to clear the dues of private hospitals in the state to allow the beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat scheme to get free healthcare facilities there.

Private hospitals in the state have stopped providing cashless treatment to Ayushman Bharat cardholders due to their mounting dues with the state government.

Taking a swipe at Mann, Union Health Minister Nadda said it would be better if he concentrated on the "dwindling state of affairs" in Punjab instead of cheering on the Delhi unit of the Aam Aadmi Party.

In a post on X, he said, "I urge Bhagwant Mann to clear the dues of the hospitals as soon as possible, for there are many families, especially our hardworking farmers, benefitting under the Ayushman Bharat programme."

"Instead of cheering on the party unit in Delhi, it would suit CM Bhagwant Mann to concentrate on the dwindling state of affairs in Punjab," he added.

A statement that Nadda shared on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's portal noted that the Private Hospital and Nursing Home Association (PHANA) in Punjab has stopped cashless treatment under the government's health insurance schemes, including the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The decision was made amid the state government's unpaid debts amounting to Rs 600 crore. PHANA stated that private healthcare facilities across Punjab will only participate in these schemes once the state government clears the outstanding dues, it added.

Nadda said Ayushman Bharat was conceptualised to aid economically backward families with ensured medical coverage but due to the mismanagement of the state government, people have lost access to free healthcare.

"Why has Chief Minister Mann's government not cleared the dues of the private hospitals? Before the elections, they promised more clinics and health centres, but today, his government cannot work for the cause of the poor," he said.