Karnal/Rohtak, Sept. 2 -- Around 650 private hospitals under the banner of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday observed a 24 hours suspension of work reportedly over delays in the settlement of claims for the last six months. According to the IMA, their payments amounting to over Rs.1,200 crore were pending with the government against claims, with regards to the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The IMA has also warned that if their demands were not addressed, they would suspend the services indefinitely from September 16. The scheme is important for economically weaker partients and scores of them visit empanelled hospitals for cashless treatment. Patients either had to pay for treatment at private facilities or approach government hospitals. Karnal unit spokesperson Dr Kamal Charaya said that despite an assurance of clearing the claims, the situation had become extremely serious for some hospitals due to the delays. There are around 20 private hospitals in Karnal with pending claims of nearly Rs.40 crore. Apart from this, the private doctors are also seeking a fair and transparent claim-settlement process and a mechanism to ensure that operational issues are resolved timely. Last year, the doctors went on an indefinite suspension of services, causing inconvenience to patients, which were resumed after assurance. IMA Hisar district president Dr Gurnish Singh said the state government had not released Ayushman Bharat funds for six months, leaving around Rs.250 crore due to the private hospitals in Hisar....