BSKY Fraud: Odisha hospital owner, manager held for alleged irregularities

Cuttack: A private hospital owner and its manager were arrested by the police in Cuttack district for allegedly claiming a patient's bills under the Odisha government's cashless healthcare scheme, Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) despite the patient receiving treatment from another non-empanelled hospital. 

According to the police, the private hospital, which is empanelled under BSKY, claimed the bills of a patient who was given treatment at a non-empanelled hospital. They changed their records to show that the patient received the treatment in their hospital. 

Also Read:Odisha BSKY Fraud: Private hospital owner among 5 arrested for duping patients on pretext of card renewal

Both the private hospitals were sealed on Saturday, April 1. One doctor at the empanelled private hospital also got anticipatory bail. 

The patient, who is from Bhubaneswar, had originally received treatment from another empanelled private hospital and had passed away on March 7. The relatives of the patient, however, alleged negligence from the side of the doctors and blamed them for the patient's death. They had also filed a complaint at Madhupatna police station in Cuttack. 

The irregularities came forth when the police began investigating the case and found that the woman had passed away in a private hospital in Nuabazar which was not empanelled under the scheme. She was only admitted to the BSKY empanelled hospital in Paga, Cuttack. 

But the records showed that the woman had undergone surgery in both hospitals at a particular time on the same day by one doctor, which was done so that the empanelled hospital could claim bills under the scheme. 

Speaking to TOI, additional DCP Anil Kumar Mishra said, "They have committed forgery by admitting the deceased at two places at a particular period." 

The Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) was launched by the Odisha government in 2018 to provide Universal Health coverage, with special emphasis on the health protection of economically vulnerable families. Under this scheme, free healthcare services would be provided in all state government hospitals. Also, an annual health coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per annum (Rs. 10 lakh for women members) per family per annum from private empanelled hospitals within and outside the State & all Government Hospitals and premier health institutes outside the State. 

Also Read:Odisha: 57-year-old Brain-Dead woman's kidneys saves life of two patients