A day after Krsnaa Diagnostics, which operates Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Aapli Chikitsa scheme to provide advanced pathology tests at subsidized rates, halted its services over Rs 10 crore in unpaid dues, the corporation assured them of a part payment of Rs 3 crore within a week.
FPJ, on October 18, had reported on patients being affected after Krsnaa Diagnostics decided to temporarily stop its services for BMC’s Aapli Chikitsa.
BMC also assured the company that the remaining outstanding amount would be paid at the earliest. Under the scheme, the corporation outsourced laboratory testing for 190 dispensaries, 107 HBT clinics, all BMC-run maternity homes, and special hospitals to the private laboratory. A total of 139 tests can be conducted at these centers, of which 101 are basic tests and 38 are advanced tests.
Pallavi Jain, the Managing Director of Krsnaa Diagnostics, confirmed receiving a letter from the corporation assuring part payment of the outstanding dues within a week. "It was becoming difficult to continue services without payment. Now that they have given us written assurance that our dues will be cleared at the earliest, we have resumed services," she said.
The corporation awarded the contract to Krsnaa Diagnostics last year after the company quoted the lowest price Rs 86 for basic pathology tests. According to Krsnaa Diagnostics, they were initially asked to provide services at 508 BMC centers, but due to some centers being closed, they are currently providing diagnostic services at 488 centers.
Under the Aapli Chikitsa scheme, Krsnaa Diagnostics receives samples from around 4,000 patients daily from BMC dispensaries, maternity homes, and hospitals. They conduct between 35,000 to 40,000 different types of tests, with multiple tests often being prescribed for a single patient.
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