Gandhinagar: The state govt on Monday informed the state legislative assembly that 49 hospitals empanelled under Govt of India’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) were suspended in the past two years for various irregularities. While the suspension of 20 was revoked, 29 continued to be barred from admitting patients under the scheme. Replying to a question by Congress MLA Amit Chavda during Question Hour, Praful Pansheriya, MoS (health and family welfare) said that strict action is being taken against hospitals found violating the scheme’s rules and standard operating procedures (SOPs).Chavda raised the question related to alleged irregularities at JCCC Hospital in Jamnagar under PM-JAY. Pansheriya said the hospital has been fined Rs 8.69 lakh for misuse of govt funds under the scheme. He added that one doctor at the hospital, Dr Parth Vora, was suspended from performing operations under the scheme and reported to the Gujarat Medical Council.The hospital was also suspended under the cardiology and cardiovascular thoracic surgery categories of the scheme for violating empanelment guidelines, according to the reply.Sources in the state health department said that some of the irregularities for which the hospitals’ empanelment was suspended included inflating hospital bills, charging additional money for procedures, not meeting the infrastructure criteria or admitting a patient under specific conditions, and other fraudulent means. It is notable that the issue of irregularities came under sharp focus after the deaths of two patients at Ahmedabad’s Khyati Hospital in Nov 2024. The two patients, along with others, were admitted under PM-JAY for cardiac procedures and were allegedly made to undergo unwarranted angioplasties.
