Srinagar, May 19 (KNO): Dialysis centres across Jammu and Kashmir are staring at a major healthcare crisis as mounting unpaid dues under the Ayushman Bharat–Sehat Scheme have pushed several private units to the brink of collapse
The Jammu and Kashmir Private Hospitals and Dialysis Centres Association (JKPHDCA), according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) warned that if the government fails to release pending payments, thousands of kidney patients dependent on regular dialysis treatment could be left without life-saving care.
General Secretary of JKPHDCA, Dr. Masood-ul-Hassan told KNO that private dialysis centres in Jammu and Kashmir are facing severe financial distress due to the non-clearance of payments by the State Health Agency (SHA), with some claims allegedly pending since 2021.
He said that hundreds of crores of rupees in legitimate dues remain unpaid, making it nearly impossible for dialysis centres to sustain operations any longer.
“Dialysis centres across J&K are on the verge of shutting down because of the massive delay in release of funds under the Ayushman Bharat–Sehat Scheme. Some of the bills have remained pending for years, and the situation has now become unbearable,” Dr. Hassan said.
He stated that the financial crisis has directly affected the functioning of dialysis units, many of which are now struggling to procure essential consumables such as dialyzers, tubing sets, medicines and other critical supplies required for dialysis procedures.
“Vendors have stopped supplying material because previous bills remain unpaid. In several centres, there is no money left even to pay salaries to doctors, technicians and nursing staff,” he added.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Dr. Hassan said dialysis is not an optional treatment but a life-saving medical necessity for patients suffering from kidney failure.
“A single missed dialysis session can prove fatal for a patient. Yet the private dialysis centres, which are handling more than 70 percent of Golden Card patients in Jammu and Kashmir, are now being pushed to choose between paying staff salaries or purchasing consumables. We have reached a stage where neither is possible,” he said.
The association also criticized the existing “Trust Mode” mechanism under which the Ayushman Bharat–Sehat Scheme is being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that the system lacks accountability and timely payment mechanisms.
Dr Hassan said the present model has “completely failed” in the Union Territory and demanded a shift to the Insurance Mode system, which, according to the association, would ensure fixed timelines and greater accountability in disbursement of payments.
“Unlike Insurance Mode, the current Trust Mode has no effective accountability framework. The prolonged delay in payments has broken the backbone of dialysis services in J&K,” he said.
He further said that many healthcare workers in dialysis centres have continued to serve patients despite not receiving salaries for months.
“Our staff has worked tirelessly without salaries just to keep patients alive. But we cannot continue to function without basic operational funds. The government must act immediately,” he said.
The JKPHDCA appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally intervene and ensure immediate release of all pending dues.
The association warned that failure to address the issue urgently could trigger a humanitarian crisis, particularly affecting poor patients who rely entirely on Golden Card coverage for dialysis treatment.
“If these centres collapse, thousands of dialysis patients across Jammu and Kashmir will be left with no access to treatment. Immediate release of pending payments and transition to Insurance Mode is the only way to prevent this crisis,” the association said—(KNO)