Hike in government hospital charges revoked in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: Barely a month after Uttarakhand government announced a hike in the treatment charges at government hospitals, community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs), Dr RK Pandey, director general (DG) health, the state government did a U-turn on Saturday saying that it has been decided to continue with the old OPD charges instead of putting in place the enhanced rates.The step has been taken in view of the common man’s interest, Dr RK Pandey, director general of health, claimed.
“We decided on this measure after we received complaints from several people of a delay in getting Atal Ayushman cards. Also, the state is grappling with a spurt in communicable and non-communicable diseases. We have urged the state government to continue the old rates until the situation is under control,” Pandey said, adding that the concerned authorities have been asked to speed-up the process of providing people with Atal Ayushman cards. Sources however said that the increase in expenses of medical treatment may have had an adverse effect in the panchayat polls for the ruling party which may have prompted the roll-back.
To recapitulate, the decision to hike the treatment charges in government medical centres and hospitals was taken in a cabinet meeting on August 28. The OPD registration rates for Ayushman card-holders in district hospitals was fixed at Rs 30 while for those without the cards, the rates were Rs 60 as per the new slab. Similarly, IPD registartion rates in district hospitals had also been hiked to Rs 120 for Ayushman card holders and Rs 240 for non-card holders.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders dubbed the move torevert to the old charges as “a moral victory of the party.”
“The decision to hike treatment charges was revoked after we put pressure on the BJP-led state government in view of public interest. Our party has been opposing the move right from the very first day,” alleged Suryakant Dhasmana, Uttarakhand Congress vice- president. He added that several people would have suffered due to the state cabinet decision.“A Congress delegation had met chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh to express their concerns over the issue a day before the move was revoked. Earlier, Congress had also staged several protests over the issue,” Dhasmana said.