The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) seems to be increasingly turning into a tool to earn money for private hospitals, instead of helping the citizens as intended.

PM-JAY was started under Ayushman Bharat for over 12 crores of poor and vulnerable families to provide free medical examinations and treatment.

The private hospitals have turned the beneficiary scheme of the poor into a source of income. In 2023, the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) audit report revealed irregularities in hospitals of Gujarat under this scheme.

The CAG report highlighted details such as hospitals treating more patients than the number of beds available. Hospitals claimed millions of rupees from the government under the guise of providing treatment.

As per the CAG report 2023, during the period from January 2021 to March 2021, auditors visited 50 hospitals in Gujarat and found irregularities, such as hospitals treating more patients than bed-capacity. 

These 50 hospitals had a total of 2,552 beds, but 5,217 patients were treated during various dates.

For example, on March 8, 2021, in the Surendranagar Medico Multispecialty Hospital, there were 97 patients receiving treatment against the capacity of just 34 beds. As per reports, most of the treatments were recorded on paper only.

There were also cases in Gujarat where patients were simultaneously admitted to multiple hospitals. It was revealed that 21,514 patients were receiving treatment in different hospitals at the same time. This indicates that the treatment was merely a paper exercise.

According to the CAG report, by November in 2022, the state had paid a total of ₹3,507.72 crore under the PM-JAY scheme, covering 14,12,311 cases. Despite these irregularities, the state health department continued to pay millions to the hospitals.

Khyati Hospital row

Ahmedabad’s Khyati Hospital has been in hot water after two patients from Kadi died after doctors at the hospital allegedly conducted an angioplasty on them to benefit from PM-JAY.

Khyati Hospital has claimed ₹27,70,96,003 from the government for over 600 cardiology treatments. Moreover, the hospital made claims worth ₹3.66 crore in just 6 months.

A total of 380 angiographies, 220 angioplasties and 36 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgeries were done by the hospital.

Between June 1 to 12, the hospital claimed funds for 650 cases from the Health Department.

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