The Panjab govt. is revisiting the Punjab Clinical Establishments Act, 2020 to regulate private hospitals, an effort previously stalled under the INC govt. led by Captain Amarinder Singh. The Act, which aims to address overcharging and ensure transparency in hospital billing, is being re-evaluated by the AAP-led govt. with a team led by Dr. Gagan Grover working on framing the necessary rules. The Act mandates that hospitals provide clear fee structures, treatment estimates, and emergency care to accident victims, among other provisions. In parallel, Union Health Minister JP Nadda criticized the Panjab govt. for not clearing dues to private hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat (Long Live India) scheme. He accused the state of mismanagement that has led to a lack of citizen access to free healthcare. The AAP govt. hit back, demanding the release of $960M in funds withheld by the Center, including $96M from the National Health Mission. AAP spokesperson and MP Malvinder Singh Kang stated that out of the $45M owed to private hospitals in Panjab for providing cashless treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, $26.4M is due from the Indian govt. Meanwhile, after recent orders from the Panjab govt., prisons in the state will now have a better doctor-to-patient ratio compared to the general population. The Punjab Health Department issued orders on 9 Sep, transferring 40 doctors to jails across the state. Tarn Taran district is the most affected by this decision, with only 30 govt. doctors left for a population of 1.3M.
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