PESHAWAR: The health department has suspended the contract of a private hospital for refusing treatment to heart patients on Sehat Card Plus (SCP).

The action was taken in the light of the directives issued by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan that contract of empanelled hospitals refusing treatment to heart patients on SCP should be suspended.

Some patients had complained that some of the private hospitals were not willing to facilitate people requiring cardiac surgeries and procedures under the free treatment scheme.

Receiving the complaints, the chief minister ordered the authorities concerned to strictly monitor the situation and after carrying out though investigations, the hospitals found violating the contract should be removed from the list of the designated health facilities providing services on SCP, according to a press release.

The health facility had refused to treat heart patients on Sehat Card

However, officials told Dawn that some cardiologists in private and public sector hospitals wanted to enhance their package as the cost of stents and other supplies used in the process had gone up in view of devaluation of local currency. They said that the administration of the empanelled hospitals hadn’t halted surgical procedures but some surgeons stopped work to revise their packages.

Officials said that Rs4 billion under the programme was spent on the free treatment of cardiac patients so far, which was the highest amount, followed by people suffering from other diseases including gynea, cancers and kidney and liver transplants.

None of the empanelled hospitals has officially announced stoppage of services to the heart patients and the surgeons, who have refused to work on current package, have been removed by the hospital concerned.

Officials said that one meeting had taken place with the hospitals to review their packages with a legal permutable solution as fluctuation in dollar’s value became common.

Sources said that private hospitals wanted more raise in their packages but the chief minister issued the directives under which one of the health facilities was removed from the list of empanelled hospitals. The administration of the suspended hospital was first warned and later its contract was suspended, they added.

The private hospitals also provide treatment for several other ailments and earn 68 per cent of the amount from the programme per year. Most hospitals don’t want to lose the money they generate through treatment of other diseases on SCP. They have requested the government to increase their rates for cardiac procedure under the progarmme.

Officials said that the health facilities continued to facilitate patients and they were in talks with the hospitals to resolve the issue of higher cost of imported items.

The chief minister said in the statement that the free treatment scheme was a pro-poor initiative of the government and its 100 per cent benefits must reach to people at any cost. He directed the quarters concerned to look into the issue of private hospitals and take steps to ensure smooth treatment of people of the province.

He said that the flagship initiative should be enforced and there would be no compromise on provision of free treatment facilities to people in the registered private hospitals.

The chief minister said that all the empanelled hospitals should ensure free treatment under SCP or face strict action, according to officials.

They said that the hospitals were being monitored but so far only one hospital was removed from the list. They said that all the empanelled hospitals assured the health department about continuation of free health services to patients.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2022