🚨 Telangana Shock: Private Hospitals to Stop Aarogyasri Services from Sept 16
- MediaFx
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
TL;DR
From 16th September midnight, over 360 private hospitals in Telangana will stop providing services under the Aarogyasri scheme. Hospitals say the state govt owes them ₹1,300–₹1,400 crore in unpaid bills. Unless dues are cleared and package rates are revised, patients depending on Aarogyasri for free treatment may have to rely only on govt hospitals.
What’s Happening
The Telangana Aarogyasri Network Hospitals Association (TANHA) has declared that from 11:59 pm on September 16, they will indefinitely withdraw services under Aarogyasri.
Why? Hospitals say the government hasn’t cleared huge pending bills under the scheme. They claim they’ve been waiting for months despite repeated promises, but nothing has moved.
The Money Factor
Hospitals say pending dues are ₹1,300–₹1,400 crore.
Many small and mid-size hospitals are struggling to pay staff and run operations because of this delay.
They also complain that the package rates under Aarogyasri are outdated and don’t match current treatment costs.
Demands from Hospitals
TANHA has put forward clear demands:
Immediate clearance of pending bills.
Revised package rates that reflect actual treatment costs.
A fresh MoU between Aarogyasri Trust and hospitals.
A grievance redressal system for hospitals.
Stop unfair deductions/cancellations in payments.
Impact on Patients
This strike could hit lakhs of poor patients across Telangana. Aarogyasri beneficiaries — mainly Below Poverty Line (BPL) families — depend on private hospitals for surgeries, dialysis, cancer treatment, and emergencies.
Without Aarogyasri in private hospitals, patients will be forced to:
Rush to government hospitals, which are already overcrowded.
Or pay out of pocket in private hospitals, which is unaffordable for many.
Or delay treatment, risking their lives.
Who’s Involved
Over 360 hospitals across Telangana are part of TANHA.
Includes many district-level hospitals which provide critical care.
If all pull out, it could paralyse health services in smaller towns and rural belts.
Bigger Picture
This is not the first time hospitals have threatened to stop Aarogyasri services. Earlier in August, they gave a similar warning. They also briefly suspended services in 2025 but resumed after govt talks. This time, however, the strike looks serious and indefinite.
People’s Perspective
Who suffers the most here? Not the hospitals or the government, but the common people. A health scheme meant for the poor is collapsing because of bureaucratic negligence and corporate tug-of-war.
From a working-class view 👉 healthcare should never be held hostage between govt delays and hospital dues. The state must pay hospitals on time, expand govt facilities, and ensure people don’t beg for treatment.
Because end of the day, health is a right, not a privilege.
