IMA suspends membership of private hospitals

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 12

The Indian Medical Association(IMA), Amritsar Chapter, has suspended the membership of private nursing homes which were found involved in the Ayushman Bharat-Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna (AB-SSBY) scam detected by officials of the Health Department recently.

The IMA leadership while condemning the malpractice of the said hospitals stated that they had brought a bad repute to the entire medical profession. The IMA members further stated that such hospitals were being run by unqualified and non-medico persons with the sole aim of business.

Most of hospitals involved in such medical malpractices are not even registered, stated IMA release. The Health Department had recently uncovered the scam and removed five hospitals from the list of hospital empanelled for providing services under AB-SSBY scheme.

IMA president Dr Amandeep Kaur and general secretary Dr JS Grover stated that the erring hospitals membership from nursing home cell had been removed and the memberships of the doctors running these hospitals till the investigation was not completed. Dr Grover added that the administration should also take strict action against those found guilty in the scam.

Meanwhile, the health administration has also decided to scrutinise the details of all hospitals empanelled under the scheme. The officials stated that a thorough investigation would be made.

The insurance schemes started by the governments often end up benefitting the unscrupulous elements in the medical industry instead of providing any relief to the deserving beneficiaries. Earlier too the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) had come under scanner as embezzlement by private hospitals using dummy and fake patients was reported.

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