Overview
- Outpatient and emergency care under the Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva scheme stopped from Thursday midnight across the network of more than 600 empanelled hospitals.
- ASHA cites over ₹2,700 crore in unpaid claims and says it will not enter talks until an initial ₹670 crore is released.
- Hospitals say patients in need will be stabilised and referred to government facilities or treated without applying scheme benefits.
- ASHA reports full participation by network hospitals and a drop in daily pre-authorisation requests from about 8,500 to roughly 3,000.
- Private medical colleges express support for the strike and say they could join after exams if dues remain unpaid, as the government has yet to respond.