Ayushman medicine scam unearthed at PGI
A racket involving misappropriation of medicines meant for patients under the Ayushman Bharat cashless scheme has been unearthed at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). The scam, allegedly spanning multiple states, is under investigation.
On February 18, the PGIMER security staff caught a youth attempting to claim Rs 60,000 worth of medicines from AMRIT Pharmacy using a fake stamp. After the interrogation of the accused, officials recovered an indent book from the Department of Urology and eight counterfeit stamps belonging to various departments of the PGIMER. The police found that the accused was getting instructions from a handler in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, who had been using forged documents to fraudulently obtain medicines worth crores under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. These medicines were then allegedly sold to private medical stores.
The perpetrators also had access to patient data of the PGIMER, raising concerns about data security and misuse.
The PGIMER and the AMRIT Pharmacy lodged a complaint with the police. They also formed an internal committee to investigate the scam and recommend preventive measures.
To safeguard the integrity of its healthcare services, the institute has made several reforms. The PGIMER is now transitioning to a ‘secure online indenting system’, replacing the manual process to prevent further misuse of medicines under the scheme. The computer section, in collaboration with the internal committee, has developed an online solution that will be integrated with the existing Hospital Information System (HIS 1) within a week.
A dedicated service area outside the Emergency has been allocated for the AMRIT Pharmacy exclusively for the cashless scheme beneficiaries. To further enhance services, the authorities are working to increase staffing to ensure timely delivery of medications and implants directly to patients at their bedside.
