Harish Rao Demands Immediate Release Of Aarogyasri Funds

BRS leader and former minister Harish Rao has accused the Congress government in Telangana of neglecting the Aarogyasri health scheme, alleging that prolonged delays in releasing funds are affecting hospitals, employees and poor patients dependent on subsidised healthcare.

Questioning Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Rao asked why the government was allegedly showing such indifference towards Aarogyasri, which he described as a vital support system for poor and middle-class families requiring expensive medical treatment.

Rao said Aarogyasri employees had been working without salaries for 18 months, describing their situation as deeply distressing. He also alleged that funds had not been released to government hospitals in Siddipet since November 2023, leaving nearly Rs 24 crore in pending dues. According to him, government hospitals elsewhere in Telangana were facing similar problems.

He warned that the shortage of funds could affect hospital operations, patient care, medicines and the purchase of medical equipment. Rao also alleged that private hospitals providing treatment under Aarogyasri had not received payments for several months.

Prolonged delays in settling hospital bills, he said, could increase financial pressure on healthcare institutions, affecting the payment of doctors and nursing staff, procurement of medicines and equipment, and routine hospital management. Ultimately, he warned, poor patients could bear the consequences.

Rao also criticised the Congress government over its promise to increase Aarogyasri coverage from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. He alleged that despite announcing higher coverage, the government was simultaneously weakening the scheme by failing to clear its financial obligations.

He demanded that the government immediately release around Rs 1,400 crore in pending Aarogyasri dues to hospitals and clear the salaries owed to scheme employees.

Rao further urged the government to release funds to both government and private hospitals without discrimination, following seniority and first-come, first-served principles.

He called for an end to measures that could weaken Aarogyasri and urged the government to ensure that the scheme remains adequately funded to provide timely healthcare to families who depend on it.