5 private hospitals de-listed for siphoning off government funds in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 11

The Health Department has de-empanelled five private hospitals for allegedly embezzling government funds under the Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana by claiming fake medical bills in the name of dummy patients.

These hospitals are Akashdeep Hospital, New Life Hospital, Verma Hospital, Manu Arora hospital and Sandhu Life care hospital.

Earlier, too, various private hospitals had come under the scanner for bungling funds under the Ex-Serviceman Contributory Health Scheme (ESCH) by claiming fake bills. The Army authorities had even lodged an FIR with the cantonment police station here. Around 24 persons, including doctors and several army veterans, were booked for fraud and forgery. Three of them were later arrested, while further investigations were under progress by an SIT in this regard.

Civil Surgeon Dr Charanjit Singh said 87 private hospitals and 10 government hospitals were empanelled by the Health Department under the Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana.

“The state health agency will now scrutinise the records of all hospitals who had claimed huge amounts under the scheme,” he said, adding that these five hospitals were de-empanelled following a detailed report by Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Gurmeet Kaur.

As per the findings, one of these hospitals even claimed bills by treating a dead patient, while another hospital treated his own family members under the scheme.

Manu Arora Hospital claimed Rs 82 lakh for the treatment of 533 patients under the scheme, while the government had already cleared Rs 70 lakh to the hospital.

Similarly, New Life Hospital claimed Rs 48 lakh for treating 477 patients. Verma Hospital had sought medical claims of Rs 27 lakh for 176 patients and Sandhu Hospital had claimed Rs 43 lakh for 344 patients. “Sandhu Hospital was found treating a dead patient admitted in the ICU under the scheme,” the Civil Surgeon added. Manu Arora, owner of Manu Arora Hospital, treated a dummy patient by pasting the picture of his wife Poonam Arora, it is alleged.

All the claims needed a detailed investigation, so the state health agency had initiated a probe in this regard. An FIR would be lodged after the investigation, he added.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.