Kurnool Collector P Koteswara Rao warns of stern action against hospitals demanding money

Kurnool: Kurnool District Collector P Koteswara Rao warned of stringent action if payments are collected from patients who are being treated under Aarogyasri scheme.

He gave a warning while addressing a meeting organised with the managements of private hospitals and government doctors on Tuesday.

Speaking the occasion, the Collector said that several complaints have been received from the patients that they were being demanded to make payments despite being treated under Aarogyasri scheme. The scheme is meant to give corporate treatment free of cost to the poor people, for this the government is spending crores of amounts, he pointed out.

But there have been complaints that the private hospitals were collecting money from the patients. "It is not correct to demand money," he said. Koteswara Rao said that complaints were received against 13 private hospitals for demanding money from patients. Such hospitals bring bad name to the State government, he said.

On an average 5 to 10 complaints are being received at Spandana programme on the unauthorised collection of amounts from the patients. The Collector said that no one would be spared if they violated the norms. The government would extend necessary support if the patients are treated under the scheme by following the norms.

He ordered managements of hospitals to provide quality treatment to the patients. The Collector has also instructed the coordinator of Aarogyasri scheme to initiate action on the 13 hospitals that have collected amounts from the patients.

District Medical and Health

Officer (DMHO) Rama Giddaiah, hospital superintendent Narendranath Reddy, DCHS, Ramji Naik, Aarogyasri district coordinator, Raghu, and the managements of private hospitals were present at the meeting.