Greed and scamming commoners by convincing them for surgeries that they did not require and thereafter claiming money under the Union government’s PM-JAY scheme has created havoc in Gujarat.
The Ahmedabad-based Khyati Multispeciality Hospital is under radar for conducting unnecessary angiography and angioplasty procedures. With three more deaths, the toll has now reached five. All the five patients who died reportedly did not require angioplasties.
However, the Khyati Hospital allegedly performed the procedures to claim money under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY). These cases come to light following reports of two earlier deaths on November 11.
The newly reported victims — two 85-year-old men and one 75-year-old man — were all residents of Kadi taluka in Mehsana district. Relatives of the deceased approached the Vastrapur police station in Ahmedabad resulting in three separate cases of accidental deaths being registered.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sharad Singhal informed said that “families are being called to the Crime Branch to aid in the investigation.”
Three More Deaths: Who are the Victims?
In the first case, Mulji Chavda, 85, a resident of Khavad village in Kadi taluka, died on March 23, 2023. According to the complaint lodged by his son, Jitendra Chavda, 56, a labourer, Khyati Hospital held a medical camp in their village on March 5, 2023 and identified him as a potential patient.
At this camp, Mulji and his wife Champa, 80, were among around 12 individuals diagnosed with arterial blockages and advised to undergo angioplasties. The hospital offered free transportation and treatment as part of the PM-JAY scheme. Mulji and Champa underwent angiography and angioplasty on March 5 and were discharged on March 7.
However, shortly thereafter, Mulji began experiencing chest pain and was admitted to UN Mehta Hospital in Ahmedabad, where he succumbed during treatment on March 23.
The second case involves Fataji Thakor, 85, a resident of Vaghroda village in Kadi taluka. On October 10, 2023, he attended a medical camp held by Khyati Hospital, where he was also advised to undergo an angioplasty.
Along with 23 others, he was transported to the hospital on October 13. Fataji underwent an angioplasty performed by Dr Prashant Vazirani, the sole accused arrested so far in the deaths reported on November 11. However, his condition deteriorated after the procedure and passed away on October 15. His grandson, Suresh Thakor, 23, lodged the accidental death complaint with the police.
In the third case, Ganpat Valand, 75, a daily wager from Vinayakpura village in Kadi taluka, also lost his life after undergoing an angioplasty at Khyati Hospital. On October 6, 2023, Ganpat attended a medical camp in his village, where he was informed of blockages in his arteries and advised to undergo an angioplasty.
He was transported to Khyati Hospital on October 7, where the procedure was conducted by Dr Vazirani under the PM-JAY scheme. Following the procedure, Ganpat’s health deteriorated and he was admitted to UN Mehta Hospital, where he died during treatment on November 4 — just a week before the deaths of Mahesh Barot and Nagar Senma, two other patients from Kadi taluka who had undergone similar procedures at the same hospital.
Relatives of the three victims have expressed grave concerns about the quality of medical care provided at Khyati Hospital. In two of the three cases, the procedures were allegedly conducted by Dr Vazirani. In the third case, authorities are investigating to identify the medical practitioner involved.
These deaths have raised serious questions about the protocols followed at Khyati Hospital and the efficacy of procedures carried out under government-sponsored health schemes.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch is now probing all five deaths associated with the hospital. Authorities have already issued a Look Out Circular (LoC) for four absconding accused: CEO Chirag Rajput as well as promoters Dr Sanjay Patolia and Rajshree Kothari and Director Kartik Patel, who is reportedly in Australia.
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