Private hospitals in the capital dread missing out on PMJAY business
Private hospitals in Delhi – including some of the biggest chains in the country like Apollo, Max and Fortis are caught in the political crossfire between the NDA government at the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state.
Delhi is yet to join Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the Rs 5 lakh annual health insurance scheme for 10.74 crore families. This means that despite being keen to join the programme that would increase their customer base enormously, private hospitals in Delhi cannot join the programme.
National Health Agency is now looking at empanelment of Delhi hospitals though the Haryana health agency
So far the only Delhi hospitals that are a part for the scheme are central government hospitals. These, apart from AIIMS, New Delhi, Ram Manohar Lohia, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College. More than 50 private hospitals in Delhi have already made enquiries about the process of empanelment. However as per the rules of PMJAY empanelment is done through the State Health Agency and for that the state has to be on board the scheme.
According to sources, the National Health Agency is now looking at empanelment of Delhi hospitals though the Haryana health agency.
“It is important that Delhi private hospitals are in the scheme because people from all over the country come here for treatment. The National portability feature of the Scheme would ensure that hospitals are reimbursed from their respective states,” an official said.
The other option is to take the same route as for the other hospitals in Delhi. All of them were empaneled directly by the National Health Agency as Institutes of Excellence. NHA is the implementing authority of the tertiery care health programme.