A private network of hospitals in the state called off its strike on Tuesday (April 7, 2026) after suspending all health services for six days under Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva, after the state government assured that part of their dues would be paid within 10 days.
AP Specialty Hospitals Association (ASHA) Vice President SVL Narayana Rao said that while similar assurances were made in the first round of the meeting, this time the state government mentioned in the minutes of the meeting that ₹1,000 crore would be paid to private network hospitals within 10 days. Members of the association took part in a virtual meeting with health officials on Monday (April 6).
Usually, when the government releases funds, they are allocated to both private and government hospitals. This time, however, the government said the payment of ₹1,000 crore will be made only to clear the outstanding dues of private hospitals, around 600 across the state. Even then, dues of ₹1,000 crore remain outstanding.
According to ASHA, of the ₹3,000 crore outstanding dues, ₹2,000 crore is due to private hospitals and the rest to government hospitals. “Apart from the initial payment, the government has agreed to pay ₹150-170 crore every month for ongoing expenses,” said Dr. Narayana Rao.
The monthly expenditure of all 800 network hospitals in the state under the scheme is ₹350 crore, of which 60% comes from private hospitals. “Despite the monthly payment of ₹150-170 crore, ₹40-50 crore will still be added to unpaid dues,” said Dr. Narayana Rao saying it is a good deal though.
More than 500 private hospitals that participated in the six-day strike are likely to resume all services under the scheme from 8.
Published – 7th April 2026 20:00 IST
