CHANDIGARH: Private health facilities along the highway are heading into a tussle with the Punjab government over the “heavy” access fee that the breakaway state has levied on them to cash in. The Public Works Department has started sending recovery notices of Rs 1-1.5 lakh payable from 2018 to each of them.
If they fail to pay the dues by a certain time, they will lose their access to state highways. In 2018, when the government notified access charges for private properties such as petrol pumps, schools, colleges, hotels and theatres, there was no mention of hospitals.
The Punjab chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has termed the payment notice as “illegal” and issued a legal notice to the principal secretary. Public Works Departmentdemanding withdrawal.
Punjab has 13,000 private health facilities, many of which are on state or national highways. Since the government has limited hospitals, people are heavily dependent on private health facilities. The owners of these private hospitals have contacted the legislators and cabinet ministers of their respective areas. State Indian Medical Association President Dr Paramjit Mann Said: “The access charges imposed on private hospitals are illegal, arbitrary and annoying. The private sector is an important healthcare provider in the state. Instead of helping it, the government is putting a financial burden on it, whose burden will fall on the patients.
Operators of private hospitals also opposed the directive to set up Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs). In September 2019, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) had asked both private and government hospitals to set up these ETPs by June 30, 2020.
Most of the private hospitals have failed to comply due to paucity of money and space. Punjab IMA has asked the state government to persuade the board to give exemption to at least small and medium hospitals.
If they fail to pay the dues by a certain time, they will lose their access to state highways. In 2018, when the government notified access charges for private properties such as petrol pumps, schools, colleges, hotels and theatres, there was no mention of hospitals.
The Punjab chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has termed the payment notice as “illegal” and issued a legal notice to the principal secretary. Public Works Departmentdemanding withdrawal.
Punjab has 13,000 private health facilities, many of which are on state or national highways. Since the government has limited hospitals, people are heavily dependent on private health facilities. The owners of these private hospitals have contacted the legislators and cabinet ministers of their respective areas. State Indian Medical Association President Dr Paramjit Mann Said: “The access charges imposed on private hospitals are illegal, arbitrary and annoying. The private sector is an important healthcare provider in the state. Instead of helping it, the government is putting a financial burden on it, whose burden will fall on the patients.
Operators of private hospitals also opposed the directive to set up Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs). In September 2019, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) had asked both private and government hospitals to set up these ETPs by June 30, 2020.
Most of the private hospitals have failed to comply due to paucity of money and space. Punjab IMA has asked the state government to persuade the board to give exemption to at least small and medium hospitals.