Even as two persons lost lives after undergoing angioplasty under PMJAY at Khyati Multispeciality Hospital in Ahmedabad, it now emerges that CAG’s audit report of 2023 pointed out numerous irregularities in hospitals across Gujarat.
All seven who underwent the angioplasty surgery were among 19 people from Borisana village in Kadi, North Gujarat. All the people were called to the hospital following a free health check-up programme organised in Kadi by the hospital.
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi said that between January and March 2021, auditors visited 50 hospitals across the state and uncovered stark discrepancies in patient records. Despite having a combined capacity of 2,552 beds, these hospitals reported treating over 5,200 patients on specific days, suggesting inflated patient numbers for financial gain.
In one instance at Medico Multispecialty Hospital in Surendranagar, only 34 beds were available, yet records indicated treatment for 97 patients on the same day. Nationally, there were 78,396 cases where patients were reportedly admitted to multiple hospitals simultaneously, with Gujarat accounting for a staggering 27% of these cases.
The National Health Authority attempted to attribute this to treatments like dialysis and chemotherapy, but auditors specifically excluded day-care patients from their findings, reinforcing suspicions of systemic fraud.
Further analysis revealed that in Gujarat alone, 302 hospitals reported 13,860 patients as admitted to multiple facilities at once. This includes 8,424 men and 5,436 women, which is allegedly widespread abuse of the PMJAY scheme, Dr Doshi added.
Poor Families, Relatives NOT AWARE
The report indicates that patients and their families are frequently unaware of the financial transactions between hospitals and the government, as all billing is managed online.
According to the report, PMJAY officials receive detailed records of every patient’s treatment, including surgeries, medications and other healthcare details.
Sources claim that certain officials may be leaking this information to other hospitals, allowing them to bill for the same treatments under multiple claims. Without collusion, such extensive fraud would be nearly impossible to carry out.
It is worth noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the PMJAY scheme for being pro-needy; however, the ground reality paints a different picture.
Also Read: Ahmedabad: Two Die After Angioplasty Under PMJAY in Khyati Multispeciality Hospital
