Deepak Baij
TFP Bureau, Raipur, January 13, 2025: State Congress President Deepak Baij has raised serious concerns over the deteriorating healthcare services in Chhattisgarh, blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for its negligence in managing the Ayushman Health Scheme. According to Baij, hospitals in the state are facing a payment backlog of over 1,500 crores for providing free treatment under the scheme. This has led to a growing number of hospitals, both large and small, refusing treatment to patients, citing unpaid dues. In many cases, hospitals are only providing care to patients who pay half of the treatment cost in cash.
Baij further alleged that small and medium hospitals, which were primarily dependent on Ayushman card-based treatments, have been forced to shut down due to the lack of payments. He claimed that government hospitals have also been left unpaid, leading to a collapse of the health system. Baij criticized the BJP government for prioritizing commissions and corruption over the well-being of the state’s citizens. “The healthcare system is in shambles under the BJP government, and people are being forced to suffer and even die due to the lack of treatment,” he said.
Congress Demands Immediate Action to Restore Health Services
Baij went on to assert that the health sector in the state has been severely impacted by the BJP government’s economic mismanagement and corruption. He pointed out that development work had already stagnated under the BJP regime, and the situation has worsened with the lack of funds, putting the lives of many patients at risk. “The Congress Party demands that the government immediately pay the pending dues to restore treatment facilities for Ayushman cardholders,” he stated.
Baij also highlighted the achievements of the previous Congress government, which, according to him, had significantly improved the state’s healthcare infrastructure. He emphasized that the Congress administration had developed district hospitals into multi-specialty centers, established dialysis and critical care units in most district hospitals, and launched various health schemes, including the Chief Minister’s Special Health Assistance Scheme, which provided coverage up to 25 lakhs. The Congress government also recruited over 4,000 medical staff, including doctors, nurses, and technicians, to strengthen healthcare services.
Baij lamented that with the change in government over the past 11 months, the health facilities in Chhattisgarh have deteriorated, and essential healthcare services have been severely impacted, leaving the citizens of the state vulnerable.
