Pune, September 11: THE Association of Hospitals will meet Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday to press their demands pertaining to the new rate list for various treatment and investigation procedures issued by the Ministry of Health under Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). Following the new rate list, hospitals had withdrawn credit facilities to CGHS beneficiaries from September 1.

The association’s representative Bhomi Bhote, CEO of Ruby Hall Clinic, said a meeting of members of the association was held on Tuesday. As per the new schedule, Pune is no longer on par with CGHS A-1 rates accorded to metros like Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. Moreover, hospital managements were upset that rates have been slashed by about 30 per cent and new terms and conditions were introduced like providing a bank guarantee.

Meanwhile, CGHS joint director Dr G T Thawani said the matter of withdrawal of credit facilities by 11 hospitals had been referred to the Ministry of Health. Beneficiaries had been informed that 11 hospitals including Deenanath Mangeshkar, Ruby Hall Clininc, Hardikar, Inlaks and Budhrani, Jehangir, Joshi, KEM, Poona, NM Wadia Institute of Cardiology, Sanjeevan and Sancheti hospitals had stopped credit facilities to pensioners and were not giving estimates for treatment to serving CGHS employees.