Ayushman Bharat services to resume in Haryana as doctors call off 18-day strike

After over two weeks of deadlock, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Haryana has called off its strike and resumed services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, following a significant breakthrough in talks with senior government officials.

According to IMA officials, the government has agreed to clear all pending dues within a month. A written assurance is expected to be issued shortly. To address the funding shortfall, officials confirmed that an additional budget will be presented in the Assembly. Currently, the scheme has a budget allocation of Rs 700 crore, significantly short of the Rs 2,000 crore the IMA considers necessary for its effective implementation.

Dr Dhirender K Soni told India Today, “The government has accepted all our demands. The strike is being withdrawn based on these assurances.”

Echoing similar sentiments, IMA Haryana President Dr Ajay Mahajan and Dr Mahavir Jain added, “We’ve been assured that funds will be released immediately, and pending dues will be cleared within a month. The government is also issuing a written confirmation. The meeting was conclusive and positive, there’s trust, and we see no reason to continue the strike.”

The strike, which began on August 7, saw over 650 IMA-affiliated private hospitals suspend treatment under the BJP government’s flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme. The protest was in response to unpaid dues exceeding Rs 400 crore and alleged arbitrary deductions by the government.

A four-hour-long meeting on Sunday between IMA representatives and top Haryana government officials paved the way for a resolution. The meeting, held at the state secretariat at 11 am, was attended by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sudhir Kumar, Ayushman Bharat CEO Sangeeta, and others. Representing the IMA were Dr Ajay Mahajan, Dr Mahavir Jain, and Dr Dhirender K Soni.

With the strike now officially over, services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme are set to resume immediately across the state. This decision is expected to benefit over 1.5 crore patients in Haryana who rely on the scheme for critical and affordable healthcare.

- Ends