The less than enthusiastic response from the famed multi-speciality private hospitals might put a damper on the ambitious Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the ambitious universal health insurance scheme, in Uttarakhand.
It is learnt that the private hospitals are finding the rate of packages under the scheme unattractive for their association with the Government scheme touted as Modi Care by euphoric Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members. What is more, the past experiences of these hospitals in similar schemes like Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana (MSBY) have not been good.
The health department of Uttarakhand has so far empanelled 97 Government hospitals and 27 private hospitals in the scheme. Most of the private hospitals empanelled for the scheme are already empanelled under the MSBY. Interestingly, while the famed private hospitals are keeping a distance from the ABY, the owners of the private eye hospitals based in the State are making a beeline to be enrolled for the scheme. In Dehradun district, for example, out of 12 private hospitals so far enrolled in the scheme, four are eye hospitals.
The experts inform that the lenses and other equipment needed in eye surgeries are available in a variety of price range and the manufacturers offer huge discounts to the hospitals going for bulk purchase which prompts the private eye hospitals to enter into tie-up for the ABY as it is a profitable proposition for them.
The Private hospitals so far enrolled in the ABY in Dehradun
The list of Dehradun district clearly shows that the esteemed hospitals like Max Super Speciality Hospital, CMI Hospital, Kailash Hospital and Synergy Hospital are conspicuous by their absence in the list of the empanelled hospitals.
Queried over the empanelment details of his hospital in the ABY, the vice- president of Max Super Speciality Hospital Dr Sandip Singh Tanwar said while talking to The Pioneer on Wednesday that the hospital is now studying the scheme and they would decide whether to join or not soon.
The senior public relation officer (PRO) of Mahant Indiresh Hospital Bhupendra Raturi said that ABY is very good scheme.
However, he hastened to add that the implementation aspect of the scheme should carefully be looked into.
It is to be noted that the hospital opted out of the MSBY after being initially enrolled for the scheme following complaints of delay in payments and claim rejection by the insurance company.
The chief executive officer (CEO) of State Health Agency, entrusted with the task of implementing ABY in Uttarakhand, Yugal Kishore Pant said that more private hospital would be added in the scheme in the coming days. He, however, added that the hospitals would be added only after it is ensured that they fulfil the norms.