Shalby Multi-specialty Hospitals, located in the Naroda area of Ahmedabad, has come under scrutiny after a patient died following a surgery conducted under the Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) scheme. The incident comes days after two beneficiaries of the scheme died in Khyati Multispeciality Hospital.
Ghobabhai Khamela, 62, was admitted to Shalby Hospitals on November 11. Khamela had been a frequent smoker and had blood flow issues due to blocked arteries in both legs. The attending doctor recommended surgery as an approach.
The hospital claims that Khamela died due to low blood pressure and kidney issues, which ultimately resulted in heart failure.
The family of the deceased has accused the doctor of post-operative negligence, alleging that Khamela’s death was caused by the doctor’s carelessness.
“We believe the doctor was careless and that’s why my father died,” said a family member.
In response to the accusations, Dr Dushyant Patel, unit head at the hospital, denied any negligence. “Due to the patient’s critical condition, after one month of treatment, he was declared dead,” Dr Patel explained.
He further clarified that the family was updated twice a day with information about Khamela’s condition and that a detailed written report was provided after his death.
“Without fail, the family was updated twice a day with detailed information about the patient’s condition. After the patient was declared dead, a detailed written report was provided. The body was handed over to the family in the presence of the police,” Dr Patel added.
The family has also claimed that Khamela was otherwise healthy except for the blocked arteries. They allege that blood leakage from the surgical site contributed to his deteriorating condition.
“He had no issues other than the blood flow problem. After the surgery, there was leakage from the veins and blood started leaking from the surgical site, making his condition worse,” a family member said.
Recommended transferring patient to another hospital
The surgery was conducted under the PM-JAY scheme, which provides health insurance to underprivileged individuals. The deceased’s family claims that a total of Rs 2,10,000 was billed under the PM-JAY card for the surgery.
However, after Khamela’s kidney complications were discovered, the hospital reportedly advised the family to seek treatment at Civil Hospital, stating that the kidney treatment could not be covered under the PM-JAY card.
The hospital management, however, denied this claim as well. Dr Patel said, “At no point during the treatment was the patient referred to any other hospital.”
Intensified state govt action on irregularities
The case at Shalby Hospitals comes amidst ongoing investigations into irregularities under the PM-JAY scheme in Gujarat.
In 2023, the state health department had imposed penalties totalling Rs 8.06 lakh on 26 private hospitals in Ahmedabad for charging fees to Ayushman Card holders. Shalby Hospitals was also a part of this list.
Recently, the government suspended two hospitals and imposed penalties on two others for irregularities related to PM-JAY. The State Anti-Fraud Unit (SAFU), along with a team of medical professionals, conducted inspections at hospitals suspected of PMJAY-related misconduct.
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