Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (JD)
Udupi, Jun 8: After a lot of discussion and deliberations, and since there was no positive response from the government Kasturba Hospital, Manipal has terminated the Ayushman Bharat - Arogya Karnataka Scheme at its hospital.
Kasturba Hospital, a renowned name in the healthcare sector was serving patients under the Ayushman Bharat - Arogya Karnataka Scheme since its inception. The scheme helped the patients avail treatment in this hospital.
Even though the hospital is willing to serve people in the ongoing Covid 19 crisis and increased dependence on the health care system of the Kasturba Hospitals, the hospital administration had to take this decision.
In a letter to the executive director of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust, a separate body under the aegis of the health and family welfare department, Dr Avinash Shettty, medical superintendent of Kasturba Hospital said, "Patients were being treated under the scheme in Kasturba Hospital since its inception. After a lot of deliberation, we have now decided to terminate the contract with effect from June 5, 2021. The treatment of the patients under Ayushman Bharat - Arogya Karnataka will cease to operate from the said date and they shall be liable to pay regular treatment costs."
"During the first wave of Covid, Kasturba Hospital had dedicated an entire hospital for the treatment of Covid patients in the district. For nearly a year the hospital administration was selflessly serving the Covid patients. Once the Udupi district hospital got upgraded, the patients were referred to the district hospital. Even though the hospital has discontinued treatment of patients under the government scheme, the Covid patients can still continue to receive treatment under the said scheme," Dr Shetty added.
"Kasturba Hospital had also given the government a month's time to settle the dues. The hospital always stood for the well being of the people and is known to offer state-of-the-art medical facilities for the people of coastal and northern Karnataka. The hospital will continue to treat Covid patients under the Ayushman Bharat - Arogya Karnataka Scheme as per the directives of the department of health and family welfare, Government of Karnataka. The bills for the treatment of these patients will be reimbursed from Survana Arogya Suraksha Trust as a large sum of dues is to be reimbursed by the hospital under the Ayushman Bharat - Arogya Karnataka Scheme," he said.