HYDERABAD: Come December, government employees will not be able to choose private hospitals for common ailments such as gallstone diseases, osteoporosis and hepatitis among others owing to state government's decision to crack the whip on unnecessary treatment and excess billing in private hospitals.

Senior officials said as part of the Employee Health Insurance scheme for government employees and pensioners, 340-odd treatments and procedures covered under the cashless scheme will be reserved only for state-run hospitals.

Which means 70 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme seeking treatment for cirrhosis (liver), duodenal ulcer, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, discectomy with implants, migraine and osteoporosis among others can do so only at government hospitals. Else, they have to spend money from their pockets.

Experts said the government has reserved the procedures for government hospitals because they are more prone to fraud in the private sector. "Several procedures covered under such insurance schemes have been exploited by the private sector hospitals and thousands of unwanted surgeries were performed," said a senior government official.

Further, he added that these medical conditions can be managed in government hospitals as they do not require sophisticated equipment. But the decision is likely to trigger massive protests.

"Given the present situation, I would not want to go to a government hospital. There are serious grey areas when it comes to sanitation and privacy. Also, there are a host of deficiencies in the critical care areas," said a retired government official, who is also a beneficiary under the scheme.

Most employees are still oblivious of the fact that many routine procedures have been reserved for government hospitals.

U Murlikrishna, president, AP Secretariat Employee Association, said for the last four years, employees have been looking forward for the scheme. "People have postponed operations. We first want the government to roll out the scheme. Subsequently, we will put pressure for modifications," said Krishna.

Private hospital associations are also unhappy with the development. "Most of the diseases we treat in the private sector are being directed to state-run hospitals. But it is left to the employees. Let the employees union decide whether they want to go to government hospitals or not," said Dr Krishna Prasad, general secretary, A P Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (APNA).

