PMJAY Fraud Allegations Lead to Suspension of Gujarat Hospitals and Doctors

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Ahmedabad’s Khyati Hospital, previously barred from the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) after two patient deaths following botched angioplasty procedures, has now been officially suspended from the PMJAY-authorized healthcare providers list by the state government. Alongside Khyati Hospital, six other hospitals have also faced suspension.

The affected hospitals include Shri Jivan Jyot Arogya Hospital in Gir Somnath, Naritva Hospital in Ahmedabad, Shiv Hospital, Khyati Multispecialty Hospital in Ahmedabad, Nihit Babycare Children Hospital in Rajkot, and Sunshine Global Hospital in Surat and Vadodara. This action means these hospitals can no longer benefit from the world’s largest health assurance scheme.

The controversy surrounding Khyati Hospital deepened after it was revealed the facility was operating without the mandatory registration under the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010. A show cause notice had previously been issued to the hospital by Dr. Prakash Mehta, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) at Sola Civil Hospital.

As reported by TOI, the incident stems from a free medical camp organized under the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY initiative, where 12 of 19 patients underwent angioplasty. Tragically, two patients died due to postoperative complications, and five others required ventilation.

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In response, the state government has suspended four specialist doctors involved in the incident. Among them are a pediatrician from Nihit Hospital, a radiation oncologist, a surgical oncologist from Sunshine Hospital, and a cardiologist from Khyati Hospital. The cardiologist, responsible for the angioplasty procedures resulting in the patient deaths, has been arrested and is one of five individuals named in three FIRs. Charges include culpable homicide, attempted culpable homicide, forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy, as the hospital allegedly performed unnecessary surgeries and neglected post-operative care.