Uttarakhand: Two hospitals slapped with notice for alleged fraud in Atal Ayushman Scheme

DEHRADUN: Two private hospitals were barred from admitting patients under Atal Ayushman scheme for the next 15 days, on Sunday, after irregularities were found in the treatment records of the two hospitals.

On Saturday late evening, in the review meeting of the government’s ambitious scheme, DK Kotiyal, chairman Atal Ayushman Scheme, Uttarakhand, found that Dehradun-based Vinod Ortho Hospital and Ramnagar-based Brijesh Hospital were manipulating data relating to the patients’ treatment in a bid to extract the insurance cover promised under the scheme.

Speaking to TOI, Abhishek Tripathi, director Atal Ayushman Scheme (Uttarakhand) told TOI that the two hospitals have also been sent a notice regarding the fraud. “Brijesh Hospital claims to have treated 279 patients under Atal Ayushman scheme. Among them, the doctors conducted surgeries on 61 patients without following proper guidelines. As many as 18 patients in the hospital revealed that they were charged for the treatment. Similarly, Vinod Ortho Hospital is also accused of forging the medical documents of the patients. Thus, the two have been given a notice to explain why they shouldn’t be de- empanelled from the scheme.”

The two hospitals availed an amount of Rs 15 lakh (approximately) each by fudging the records under the scheme, the official added. Notably, this isn’t the lone such case reported in the state. Due to fraudulent practices, as many as four hospitals have been fined or de-empaneled from the scheme so far.