Free OPD under NTR Vaidya Seva not in original agreement: ASHA
Specialty hospitals express concern over outstanding dues of Rs 2,000 cr, announce stoppage of free OPD services to NTR Vaidya Seva beneficiaries
Vijayawada: A major dispute has emerged between the state government and specialty hospitals over the NTR Vaidya Seva scheme. In a letter to NTRVS CEO Dinesh Kumar, the Andhra Pradesh Specialty Hospitals Association (ASHA) has announced that private hospitals will no longer be able to provide free Outpatient Department (OPD) services to scheme beneficiaries.
The decision comes amid mounting financial stress and what hospitals describe as unsustainable demands from the government.
ASHA president Dr K Vijay Kumar said that hospitals are collectively owed over Rs 2,000 crore in outstanding dues for more than 18 months. Despite repeated appeals, the government has yet to provide a clear payment schedule.
He expressed alarm over new government directives requiring hospitals to convert their regular OPDs into free OPDs for NTR Vaidya Seva patients, including providing free consultations and investigations. Dr Vijay Kumar emphasised that these services were never part of the original agreement and are financially unfeasible for hospitals to absorb, describing the government’s stance as ”perceiving continued service as weakness.”
While supporting the need for a robust audit, the letter criticised the government’s method of conducting patient feedback calls. Hospitals allege that the use of ”leading and suggestive questions” creates an impression of mistrust between patients and healthcare providers, which could damage the doctor-patient relationship.
Dr Vijay Kumar voiced disappointment that hospitals have been excluded from discussions about the new NTR Vaidya Seva scheme.
He noted that they had hoped to be involved in conversations about pricing, payment mechanisms, and other operational improvements.
The association urged the government to find an ”amicable resolution” to the outstanding issues.
ASHA is committed to working with the NTRVS office to resolve the crisis, which includes clearing dues, rationalising prices, and creating an equitable operational framework.
Without such a resolution, the association said the continuation of services is ”unsustainable” and falls ”outside the scope of our original commitment.” The outcome of these discussions will determine whether patients can continue to access free outpatient care under the flagship health scheme.
