PESHAWAR: Peshawar Institute of Cardiology has suspended free elective services on Sehat Card Plus and now offers only emergency services to critically-ill patients owing to non-payment of dues by the government.

In a letter to Health Secretary Mahmood Aslam Wazir, the chairman of Board of Governors of Peshawar Institute of Cardiology, Dr Asif Loya, said that the management of the hospital had decided to suspend elective services on Sehat Card Plus and provide only emergency services to patients owing to non-payment of amount by State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC), the implementer of the free health initiative in the province.

The letter entitled ‘Suspension of elective healthcare services under Sehat Card Plus programme’ said that owing to non-payment of outstanding dues by SLIC since long, the hospital had suspended elective healthcare services under SCP two months ago.

“However, in a meeting held on August 8, 2023, at the health department, we got assurance about paying of our outstanding dues, due to which PIC resumed elective healthcare services soon afterwards. However, despite lapse of more than a month, we haven’t been paid any money in lieu of SCP by the insurance company,” it said.

Govt needs to pay Rs1,248 million dues to the hospital

The letter said that the unpaid amount, which was Rs1,074 million on June 30, was soared to more than Rs1,248 million. “It continues to surge with every passing day,” it added.

According to the letter, the public sector PIC has brought into the notice of health secretary that stocks of medicines and disposables have been depleting rapidly in the hospital as it is the only institute extending cashless services to cardiac patients on SCP.

“As of now, the institute is left with only one month stock of essential medical items after which there will be no other way except to close down services under the free health insurance programme,” it said. It added that the institute was presently facing default-like situation in view of the challenges in the face of making payments to suppliers.

“We have to pay an amount of Rs900 million to the suppliers and the liabilities continue to rise. Due to non-payment, suppliers are reluctant to continue medical and surgical supplies. They have linked provision of items to payment of their unpaid sums,” said the letter.

It said that the budget received by PIC from government was only enough to meet day-to-day expenditure due to which the institute is unable to cover costs of medicines and consumables incurred on cardiology and cardiac surgery procedures.

Sources said that PIC suspended free treatment of heart patients in August owing to non-payment and low rates offered by the government for operations and procedures performed on SCP. However, services were re-started after assurance by the government that it would be paid by SLIC the outstanding dues as well as increase it rates but both the demands were unmet so far, they said.

They said that all the items for heart surgery such as stents and pacemakers were imported in dollars due to which their prices went much higher whereas the surgeons were paid the same rates since 2019.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has been facing daunting challenge to pay the amount to SLIC, which is required to make payments to empanelled hospitals. The government has to pay Rs20 billion to the insurance firm for implementing the programme and onwards payment to hospitals.

Since installation of caretaker government in the province, SCP has suffered due to shortage of money. The government has already stopped liver and renal transplants that cost Rs5 million and Rs1.4 million, respectively.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2023