Srinagar, June 28 (KNB): Private hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday announced that they will suspend dialysis, chemotherapy and all treatments under the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY/SEHAT scheme from July 1, 2026, citing non-payment of government dues pending for the past three years.
In a press statement issued to news agency KNB, the Jammu and Kashmir Private Hospitals and Dialysis Centres Association said the decision had been taken with a “heavy heart” after hospitals were left with no option due to an acute financial crisis.
The Association stated that despite providing uninterrupted treatment to thousands of patients under the Ayushman Bharat and SEHAT schemes without charging beneficiaries, hospitals have not received reimbursement of crores of rupees from the government for nearly three years.
President of the Jammu and Kashmir Private Hospitals and Dialysis Centres Association (Jammu Region), Sandeep Mengi, said hospitals had continued serving patients in good faith, trusting the government’s assurance that payments would be released on time.
“We borrowed money, requested suppliers for credit and, in many cases, were unable to pay staff salaries. Today, our pharmacies are empty. We have no dialyzers, no cancer medicines, no surgical supplies and vendors have stopped providing essential materials due to mounting unpaid bills,” he said.
Mengi said the Association had repeatedly raised the issue through meetings with officials, press conferences, newspapers and television debates, but no concrete action had been taken.
“Every time we were told that the issue would be resolved soon, but assurances alone cannot save lives. Medicines and medical supplies are essential for patient care,” he said.
The Association maintained that hospitals have now been pushed to a stage where continuing treatment without essential medicines and equipment would put patients’ lives at risk.
“A doctor without medicines is helpless and a hospital without supplies is merely a building. We cannot pretend to provide treatment when the required resources are unavailable,” the statement said.
Appealing directly to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Association advised patients undergoing regular dialysis, chemotherapy or other treatments under the Ayushman Bharat/SEHAT scheme to contact their respective hospitals well before June 30 and make necessary arrangements.
The Association also urged the public to support healthcare providers and requested them to appeal to the Hon’ble Chief Minister and the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor for the immediate release of pending payments.
“We do not want to discontinue these services. We took an oath to serve humanity. If the pending funds are released, hospitals can immediately procure medicines and resume normal treatment. We request the government to act without further delay so that patients do not suffer,” the statement said.
The Association added that if services come to a halt from July 1, the responsibility would lie with the prolonged delay in releasing pending payments and not with the hospitals, which, it said, had continued to serve patients despite severe financial hardship. (KNB)