Central government employees may not be able to receive health services under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) at some of the reputed private hospitals, courtesy, a delay in settlement of bills by the government.
According to health and family welfare minister Anbumani Ramadoss? reply to a question in Parliament this April, the government owed Rs 47 crore to the private hospitals and diagnostic centres. ?Bills are likely to be paid in the current financial year,? he added.
While some of the private hospitals have received the sum due to them, others are still waiting for settlement.of their bills. In fact, for some, the bills have doubled in amount since April 10. ?We have not received the amount, instead the amount due to us has doubled,? a source in Apollo hospitals group said. The group has two CGHS-empanelled hospitals – Indraprastha Apollo, Delhi and Apollo, Noida. Indraprastha Apollo in Delhi has withdrawn from the list for non-payment of dues.
As per Ramadoss? reply, Apollo hospital had Rs 2-crore worth of bills to be settled. The amount has now reached Rs 4 crore, the source in the group added. Repeated attempts could not solicit any official comment from the government.
Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre has around Rs 9 crore to be settled, followed by Maharaja Agrasen hospital (Rs 3.18 crore). Pending bills of the recognised diagnostic centres under CGHS were to the tune of Rs 6.5 crore, while Rs 2.5 crore were due to derecognised/stopped referral hospitals and diagnostic centres.
Batra hospital, another empanelled hospital, has received a part of the Rs 12.25 lakh that was due to it. ?Only Rs 6 lakh were received in May. Now, we are providing health services only on cash payment to patients,? an official said. Max Hospital, Delhi said the payment due to them (Rs 1.4 crore) has been realised. ?We are at par now,? a hospital official, having the updates said.
In addition to the amount due to the hospitals, the government has to reimburse the bills of chemists, which supply medicines under CGHS.