70 PMJAY patients found admitted in Hotel instead of Hospital, Doctors booked under IPC 420

Jabalpur: A doctor couple in Madhya Pradesh was charged with cheating and forgery after 70 patients covered under the Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojana were found admitted in a hotel instead of an adjoining hospital.

Local police and health department officials had on Friday conducted a raid during which the 70 Ayushman Bharat cardholders of the health scheme were found in Hotel Vega, while as per records, they were admitted to the Central India Kidney Hospital for treatment, the officials said.

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The hotel is located next to a private hospital.

Additional Superintendent of Police Gopal Khandel had on Friday said they received a tip-off that the hospital was allegedly paying money to Ayushman Bharat card holders to get admitted.

The health department was alerted after which a raid was conducted on the hotel, he had said.

On the basis of an investigation report received from Jabalpur's chief medical and health officer, an FIR was registered on Sunday against Dr. Ashwini Pathak and Dr. Duhita Pathak for forgery and cheating, Khandel said.

The hotel where the Ayushman Card holders were being treated has been sealed on the instructions of the Jabalpur collector, Additional District Magistrate Namah Shivay Arjaria said.

The Kotwali police have registered the case against the doctor couple under Indian Penal Code sections 466 (forgery), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), Khandel said.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana seeks to provide a cover of Rs five lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

Denying the allegations, Dr. Ashwini Pathak told NDTV: "It's not a hotel anymore, we are running a 100-bed medical facility there after taking permission from the district hospital. We are not charging a single rupee from the Ayushman Bharat card holders."

The doctor's claim was refuted by Additional District Magistrate Namah Shivay Arjaria. "Central India Kidney Hospital admitted fake patients in Vega Hotel. Though the hotel has been sealed, certain medical facilities being run at the hotel, such as the CT scan center, have not been shut for the benefit of the patients."

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