The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to complete the work of making Ayushman Bharat cards for beneficiaries within three months.
The division bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla asked the state government to clarify how many government and private hospitals in the state have been affiliated so far under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. The next hearing of the case has been set for March 15.
Senior Advocate Naman Nagarath, also the Amicus Curiae, had filed an application saying the Madhya Pradesh CEO of Ayushman Bharat Scheme has issued a letter stating that Ayushman Bharat scheme was started in 2018, but 25 percent of the beneficiaries registration was done under the Ayushman Bharat scheme by February 2020.
Along with this, it has been said in the letter that till December 2019 only 60 percent government hospitals could be affiliated under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
After considering the issue, the High Court has directed the state government to complete the work of making Ayushman card within three months. Additional Advocate General R.K. Verma appeared on behalf of the state government.
Advocate Shivendra Pandey, on behalf of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), argued that under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, private hospitals are not being registered. Even after applying, private hospitals are not being inspected by the committee.
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The matter relates to an incident on a private hospital in Shajapur, the hospital operators had tied the hands and feet of an elderly patient to the bed for not paying the bill. Taking suo motu cognizance of this incident, the High Court has started hearing the matter as a public interest litigation. In the same matter, the High Court is hearing the treatment of the poor under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.