Empanelled Private Hospitals Must Be Paid Within 15 Days So That No Patient Is Denied Treatment: Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal highlighted Goa's public healthcare system’s collapse, citing overcrowding at the state's lone super-speciality hospital, large staff shortages, and the declining use of the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY). He pointed out that only 1.81 lakh of the 2.91 lakh enrolled families continue to use the scheme, while nearly 90 per cent of Goans cannot afford private treatment to begin with.

Why Did Arvind Kejriwal say Goa's healthcare system has collapsed?

Holding up Punjab as an alternative, the AAP Supremo called on the Goa government to adopt the AAP-led state's ₹10 lakh health insurance scheme, which provides universal coverage to every family without income criteria, covers 2,350 diseases and procedures compared with 447 under Goa's DDSSY, reimburses empanelled hospitals within 15 days, and brings both government and private hospitals within the reach of ordinary citizens. He asserted that the poorest person in Goa deserves access to the best hospitals, just like the political class and the wealthy.

Addressing a press conference alongwith senior AAP leader and Goa In-charge Atishi, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, "Goa's public healthcare system has completely collapsed. If someone suffers from a serious illness, nearly 90 per cent of the population depends on government healthcare. Private healthcare is so expensive that around 90 per cent of people cannot afford treatment in private hospitals for serious illnesses. People may visit private doctors for a common cold, cough or fever, but no one can afford private hospitals for major surgeries or serious diseases. If we assume Goa's population is 18 lakh, nearly 16 lakh people depend on government healthcare, while only barely about 2 lakh can afford private hospitals, and even that figure may be an overestimate."

What problems did he highlight in Goa's health insurance scheme?

Highlighting the condition of government hospitals, the AAP Supremo said, "There are many private hospitals, but there is only one government super-speciality hospital, GMC. Its condition is extremely poor and it remains overcrowded. If you need a bed there, you need someone's recommendation. Doctors prescribe medicines that patients have to buy from outside, and because they are expensive, most people cannot afford them. The less said about GMC, the better. Its condition is extremely bad. Since it is the only GMC in the state, it takes two hours to reach from Canacona. In an emergency, a patient could lose their life in those two hours. Even from Ponda, it takes an hour to reach."

Referring to other government healthcare facilities, Arvind Kejriwal added, "The South Goa District Hospital has 193 vacant posts. It lacks several specialists and faces a severe shortage of medicines. The hospital has virtually come to a standstill. The ID Hospital in Ponda does not even have basic medical equipment. It is not adequately equipped. There is neither a CT scan nor an MRI facility. Out of its eight lifts, seven are out of order.”

He pointed out, “The ID Hospital in Ponda has largely become just a referral hospital. Almost every patient is referred to GMC because there are no specialists, there is a severe shortage of staff and many doctor positions remain vacant, even though the hospital was built 12 years ago. This is how Goa's entire public healthcare system has collapsed."

Speaking about the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY), he continued, "90% of people do not know where to go if someone in their family falls seriously ill. To provide relief, the government introduced the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana so that if patients did not receive proper treatment in government hospitals, they could seek treatment in private hospitals. The scheme now provides insurance cover of ₹4 lakh per year for families of up to three members and ₹6 lakh for families with four or more members. But in today's time, ₹4 lakh or even ₹6 lakh is simply not enough."

Pointing to declining participation in the scheme, he stated, "People will be surprised to know that instead of expanding, the scheme's coverage has actually declined. In 2022-23, cards were issued to 2.95 lakh families. By 2025-26, that figure had fallen to just 1.81 lakh. Around 1.25 lakh families have stopped using their cards. This clearly shows that people are not benefiting from the scheme."

Presenting Punjab's model, the AAP Chief said, "The ideal solution is to make the government healthcare system effective, efficient and functional. But that will take time, and until then people cannot be left to die. That is why we introduced a scheme in Punjab under which every family receives health insurance coverage of ₹10 lakh. There is no income limit or any other eligibility criterion. The only requirement is that the person must be a resident of Punjab."

Comparing the two models, Arvind Kejriwal asserted, "While Goa's scheme covers 447 diseases, Punjab's covers 2,350 diseases and medical procedures, six times more than Goa. Almost everything is covered, and if any disease is left out, we add it. The AAP government is highly responsive to people's demands and needs. Nearly every hospital in Punjab, both government and private, is empanelled under the scheme. Hospitals receive payment within 15 days and are reimbursed at prevailing market rates. The scheme has not even completed six months, yet we have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the people."

Appealing to the Goa government, the AAP Supremo said, "There is no politics in this. The only objective is to benefit the people. We appeal to the Chief Minister of Goa to adopt Punjab's successful policy and implement the ₹10 lakh health insurance scheme in Goa as well. If this scheme is introduced, private hospitals such as Manipal Hospital, Victor Hospital, Healthway, Galaxy and Redkar Hospital will become accessible to ordinary people. People will no longer have to travel for two hours just to reach GMC."

Arvind Kejriwal concluded, "These are the hospitals where the wealthiest and the politically influential receive treatment. If this scheme is implemented, these hospitals will become accessible even to the poorest person in Goa, ensuring equal treatment for everyone. On behalf of the people of Goa, we appeal to the Goa Chief Minister to implement the AAP government's ₹10 lakh health insurance scheme from Punjab in Goa."

What reasons did Arvind Kejriwal cite?

1. Low insurance cover: The insurance amount is far too low. Today, treatment for a single serious illness such as a heart attack or cancer can easily cost more than ₹4 lakh.

2. Limited disease coverage: The scheme covers only 447 diseases and procedures. It does not even include cataract surgery, although our MLA Venzy Viegas gets cataract operations done free of cost for Goans. It also excludes PET scans, which are essential for cancer diagnosis, as well as several cancer therapies and procedures. With such limited coverage, the scheme has become largely irrelevant and ineffective for most people in Goa.

3. Delayed payments: The government fails to pay hospitals on time. Payments remain pending for several months, forcing many hospitals to stop accepting DDSSY cards. People carry these cards to hospitals, but treatment is refused.

4. Outdated reimbursement rates: The payment rates fixed by the government were last revised in 2016. Most hospitals believe these rates are no longer financially viable, so they find one excuse or another to refuse patients carrying DDSSY cards.