19 private hospitals barred from serving patients under government schemes

The state government will cancel the empanelment of 19 private hospitals, including some top corporate facilities, for refusing to serve patients under public healthcare schemes in protest against the non-payment of their dues.

On January 16, as many as 185 private hospitals across the state stopped performing non-elective surgeries under Vajpayee Arogyashree, Rajiv Arogya Bhagya and Jyothi Sanjeevini schemes. Except 19, all of them have now withdrawn the strike, according to Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare.

Among the 19 are some renowned corporate hospitals such as Mallya Hospital, MS Ramaiah Hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya, all in Bengaluru, AJ Hospital and Research Centre, Mangaluru, and KMC, Manipal.

But all hospitals in Belagavi and Kalaburagi divisions are functional, the official said on Friday. She said the government had made alternative plans to substitute for these hospitals.

The 19 hospitals, however, can continue to serve patients who availed themselves of treatment previously and their bills would be cleared, but they can’t take up new cases, she added.