Private Hospitals Issue Public Appeal, Warn of Service Disruptions and Potential Job Losses
Imran Naikoo
Srinagar, March 14, (Gulistan News TV): The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced the exclusion of four common surgical procedures from being performed in private hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) SEHAT scheme.
The order, issued by the State Health Agency (SHA), marks a significant shift in the implementation of healthcare services under the Golden Card initiative.
As per Order No. 15-SHA of 2025, the following surgical procedures will no longer be conducted in empanelled private hospitals: Appendectomy,
Cholecystectomy, Hemorrhoidectomy,
Fissure.
These surgeries will now be performed exclusively in public healthcare facilities, including Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), District Hospitals and Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) across Jammu and Kashmir. This decision will take effect from March 15, 2025.
The SHA has also revised the package rates for hospitals under the scheme. While private hospitals will no longer receive an additional 10% over the base rates, public hospitals will continue to follow standardized rates as per HBP 2.2 guidelines.
The SHA has instructed all empanelled private and public hospitals to ensure compliance with the new guidelines and facilitate a smooth transition. The order has been circulated to key stakeholders, including Chief Medical Officers and all empanelled healthcare providers for immediate implementation.
In response to the government’s decision, the Jammu and Kashmir Private Hospitals and Dialysis Centres Association issued a public appeal, stating:
“The Jammu and Kashmir State Health Agency’s decision to reduce package rates for procedures by 10% has put private hospitals in a difficult spot. This move not only makes it challenging for us to continue providing services but also goes against the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of universal health insurance, which aims to provide comprehensive healthcare coverage to all residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
To make matters worse, four surgical procedures are now reserved exclusively for public hospitals, further restricting the services private hospitals can offer. This decision, coupled with the reservation of these surgical procedures, undermines our ability to provide quality care to our patients. Despite our commitment to serving the community, the reduced rates make it unsustainable for us to continue operations. The scheme is very beneficial for the public but unfortunately, due to these decisions by SHA, the quality of medical services will be compromised.
Moreover, the payment from the government has not yet been fully released, though the Chief Secretary had assured that all pending payments would be cleared by December 2024.
Private hospitals provide employment to about 10,000 youth and by this decision, we will be forced to relieve employees, thereby increasing unemployment in the region.
As a result, private hospitals are being forced to stop providing services under the Ayushman Bharat/SEHAT Scheme from March 15, 2025, which will undoubtedly affect the community unless the government reconsiders its decision.
We urge the public to support private hospitals in their appeal to the government to reconsider this decision.”
The appeal features the challenges faced by private healthcare providers and the potential implications for both patients and employees across Jammu and Kashmir.
(Gulistan News TV)
