Andhra govt 'undermined' Aarogyasri health scheme: YS Sharmila

Amaravati, Sep 16 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president YS Sharmila on Tuesday accused the NDA coalition government of "undermining" the state's flagship health scheme, Aarogyasri.

Sharmila alleged that the state government has derailed such a great scheme by leaving pending dues of nearly Rs 2,500 crore to private hospitals for the past one and a half years.

"Aarogyasri (which offers free healthcare to the poor in corporate hospitals) is the lifeline of poor families, a rebirth for the underprivileged, but the coalition government has turned it into Anarogyasri (ill health scheme)," said Sharmila in a release.

She charged that the arrears were part of a conspiracy to render the scheme ineffective, while introducing universal insurance in its place amounted to cheating the people.

Recalling that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had promised Rs 25 lakh health insurance for every family before elections, Sharmila alleged that it had now been reduced to Rs 2.5 lakh private insurance covering only 10 per cent families.

The APCC chief observed that 16 out of 18 states which had implemented private insurance earlier switched back to the government trust model, admitting it only created burden and not benefit.

She demanded that the NDA coalition government should immediately withdraw the move to link Aarogyasri with private insurance, clear dues of Rs 2,500 crore to hospitals, and ensure uninterrupted health services.

Sharmila also urged the chief minister not to play politics with public health and instead expand Aarogyasri services for the welfare of poor families.

Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the ruling TDP. PTI MS STH KH