On the 16th of August, Etela Rajender, the Health Minister of Telangana, conducted a meeting with the head of Telangana Aarogyasri Network Hospitals Association (TANHA.)
The meeting was organised after approximately 240 private hospitals across Telangana stopped treating those who are beneficiaries of Aarogyasri, due to the non payment of bills by the Telangana Government.
However, the meeting was unfruitful as the TANHA decided to continue its protest by not treating patients until the State Government pays the dues, which are pending since long.
Besides, the TANHA also asked the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Government to accept their long pending demands.
Mr. Rajender requested the representatives of the TANHA to call off the protest in the wake of the poor patients who cannot afford treatment at expensive hospitals.
The Association’s representatives demanded the revision of tariffs and rates which have been the same since 2007 and the payment of bills worth Rs. 1,200 crores.
However, Rajender denied the amount due was Rs. 1,200 crores and said the amount which needs to be cleared by the Government is Rs. 600 crores. He also assured the Association the pending bills would be cleared in phases, but the hospitals’ authorities should start treating patients immediately.
After the meeting, the Health Minister of the State submitted a report to K. Chandrashekar Rao, the Chief Minister of Telangana, informing him about the meeting.
The TANHA and the Health Minister are expected to meet again on the 17th of August.
