24 Ahmedabad hospitals penalised for charging PMJAY beneficiaries

Ahmedabad: Twenty-four hospitals empanelled under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) in Ahmedabad have been penalised for charging patients holding valid scheme cards, the Gujarat government informed the Gujarat Legislative Assembly during the ongoing session.

In response to a question raised by a Congress legislator, the state government stated that several empanelled hospitals in Ahmedabad city and district had violated the scheme’s guidelines by collecting money from beneficiaries, even though it guarantees cashless treatment to eligible patients under Ayushman Bharat.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, the government stated in its written reply that multiple incidents were recorded up to January 31, 2026, in which patients eligible for free treatment under the scheme were allegedly charged for medical services. 

The government further informed the Assembly that 24 hospitals empanelled under PM-JAY in Ahmedabad were found to have violated the guidelines over the past two years. Following complaints and verification, authorities issued notices to the hospitals and imposed penalties for breaching the rules. According to the data tabled in the Assembly, the state government has imposed a total fine of Rs 36,84,369 on these hospitals during the past two years.

The issue also once again put light on the controversy involving Khyati Hospital, which had earlier sparked widespread debate over the alleged misuse of the scheme. Reports at the time said the hospital organised a medical camp in Borisna village in Kadi to extend government health benefits to villagers.

However, villagers later alleged that only those possessing Ayushman cards were called to the hospital in Ahmedabad for treatment, even though many had no serious medical complaints. Reports claimed that several patients were subjected to angioplasty procedures, a specialised cardiac intervention.

The controversy intensified when two patients died during these procedures, triggering protests by villagers and relatives outside the hospital and leading to a broader investigation into the incident.

Senior Congress leader Amit Chavda criticised the alleged misuse of the welfare scheme.

“The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was meant to be a blessing for poor and middle-class beneficiaries,” he said, alleging that some private hospitals had turned the programme into a tool for profit.

He cited the Khyati Hospital incident as an example of how patients’ lives could be put at risk in attempts to claim government reimbursements. Chavda further alleged that such developments point to the presence of a “medical mafia” within welfare schemes and called for stricter monitoring and enforcement.