Ayushman Bharat Scheme scam in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, Jun 17 (PTI) In light of the irregularities unearthed in the records of 27 hospitals in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has warned that scams in the scheme will not be tolerated, an official said on Friday.

In a suo-motu examination of cases under the scheme in Madhya Pradesh, the health authorities examined the records of 84 hospitals, spread across 12 districts, and found irregularities in 27 medical institutions empanelled with the scheme.

During a meeting to review the health scheme on Thursday, the chief minister said, “Any scam in the Ayushman Bharat Yojna will not be tolerated and those found to be involved in committing irregularities should be sent to jail.” Officials informed during the meeting that irregularities were found in 27 empanelled hospitals and appropriate action is being taken against these institutions.

Madhya Pradesh public health and family welfare minister Dr Prabhuram Choudhary, National Health Mission (NHM) director Priyanka Das and other senior officials were present in the meeting.

“I will not allow any scam in the scheme. It is like cheating the patients and government. Those involved in it (irregularities) should be arrested and their other activities should be probed," Chouhan said.

The health department should form a panel to examine private hospitals and payments should not be made to such institutions from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, he said.

He further directed that call centres should remain active and check with patients if they were admitted to hospitals or not.

The NHM director informed that some hospitals had shown bogus admissions and uploaded fake claims on the portal to claim benefits under the scheme.

The authorities have registered FIRs and appropriate action has been taken in such cases. The process to derecognise these hospitals under the scheme has also been initiated, she said, adding that penalties have been imposed on hospitals that overcharged patients.