Srinagar, March 23 -- The decision to remove four surgical proceduresfrom the list of treatments covered under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is going to overburden the government hospitals.

The government has removed cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), haemorrhoidectomy (hemorrhoid removal), sphincterotomy (for fissures), and appendectomy (appendix removal from the list of treatments covered in private hospitals under a government healthcare scheme.

Data accessed by The Kashmir Monitor revealed that these procedures have been among the most common treatments provided under the scheme with the majority of these surgeries conducted in private hospitals.

According to official data, a total of 84,907 proced...