Bhubaneswar: In a major setback to the state government’s universal health coverage scheme – Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojna (BSKY) – the All Odisha Private Medical Establishment Forum (AOPMEF) has withdrawn from the state government’s health insurance scheme.
Around 300 private nursing homes that were empanelled along with all government hospitals under the BSKY have abandoned providing healthcare services to the people under the scheme.
“We have decided to pull out of the insurance-based health scheme of the state for the time being,” AOPMEF president Ajoy Kumar Mishra has said in a letter addressed to Health Minister Naba Kishore Das.
“Several applications for renewal/fresh registration of clinical establishments are pending with the government. Lack of decisive action, absence of definite rules and guidelines for a long time and lack of coordination among multiple government departments have resulted in this unprecedented situation,” read the letter.
After failing to meet the Health Minister and due to non-renewal of registrations of private clinical establishments, the forum has decided to take this decision.
Association secretary Indramani Jena said all private nursing homes in the state have stopped providing medical services under BSKY because of pending dues to the tune of `25-30 crore since 2017.
“Before the implementation of BSKY, Rastriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was in operation in the state. The state government had then signed an Memorandum of Understanding on the condition that funds would be provided within 15 days. However, the pending dues in every establishment has accumulated to `20-30 lakh,” Jena said.
The private clinic owners have urged the state government to clear their dues for resumption of the scheme. “We do not want to trouble the patients,” added Jena. In his reaction, the Health Minister said, “We will discuss with the private hospitals soon and sort out the issue. “
The state government had rejected the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme and launched the BSKY scheme August 15 to provide health insurance to the poor.
