4 Rajkot hospitals served notices for PMJAY scheme violation

Rajkot: The state anti-fraud unit (SAFU) has served notices to four hospitals in Rajkot for not providing the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY), the cashless insurance scheme to its patients. 

The unit took action after conducting surprise checks at the Sterling Hospital, NM Virani Wockhardt Hospital, Jalaram Raghukul Hospital, and Rajkot Cancer Society and its allied hospital. The notices dated September 2 were served within the last two to three days. 

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At the Sterling hospital, the officials found that the hospital denied cashless treatment to two of its patients and the latter had to pay an amount of Rs 10,450. After the inspection, the officials asked the hospital to Rs 52,250 as a penalty. 

The team inspected the Wockhardt Hospital on June 26 where they found that 18 patients who were eligible for free treatment under the scheme had to pay the full amount. The inspection revealed that there was no information, education, and communication (IEC) regarding government schemes at the reception. The hospital had to pay a fine of Rs 3.45 lakh. 

At the Jalaram Raghukul Hospital, only one patient was provided the cashless treatment under the scheme and SAFU fined them Rs 85,000, as per a media report in the Times of India. 

The Rajkot Cancer Society and the allied hospital also defrauded 10 patients by charging them the full amount despite the availability of the scheme. The team during their inspection on June 26 found that the hospital failed to conduct a test of a beneficiary before the treatment in the radiation department and another patient's treatment was done after his medication was started. 

The additional director of the health and family welfare department served the notices to the hospitals and warned them of blacklisting in case they continued violating the rules.