Aarogyasri: Govt blacklists 18 corporate hospitals

Hyderabad, Aug 6 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government has blacklisted 18 corporate hospitals alleging irregularities in the implementation of the 'Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Insurance Scheme' in the state.

Informing this to newspersons here, Health Insurance Minister G Aruna, along with Finance Minister K Rosaiah, Health and Family Welfare Minister S Chandrasekar and Vaidya Vidhana Parishad Minister V Venkateswara Rao, said a probe was ordered into the matter and action would be initiated against the hospitals concerned.

''We are ready for a public debate with the Opposition parties on the benefits of the scheme and people themselves will give a fitting reply to them,'' they said.

The scheme provided a new lease of life to poor patients, for whom access to corporate hospitals are out of reach, they said, adding that so far, 2,400 surgeries were peformed at a cost of Rs 4.84 crore, the ministers claimed.

''The Opposition was resorting to mud slinging as they were unable to digest the scheme's popularity.'' Each and every procedure done in all the government and private hospitals under the scheme were being monitored online with facility to interact with the patients through video conferencing, they added.

UNI SM VA SJ SY RN1855