Panchkula, Oct. 7 -- The healthcare situation in Panchkula has hit a critical snag, as cardiac treatment for Ayushman card holders has been suspended for nearly three months at the civil hospital's heart centre, coinciding pointedly with World Heart Day.

The facility, operated under a public-private partnership (PPP) model by the Meditrina Group of Hospitals, has halted services due to a staggering Rs.80 lakh in pending dues at the Panchkula centre alone. This local financial bottleneck is part of a larger crisis across four Haryana centres-Panchkula, Ambala, Gurugram, and Faridabad-where the total outstanding payment to Meditrina is reported to be Rs.7.5 crore, forcing patients to seek care at already overburdened institutions like PGI ...