Botched angioplasty deaths: Gujarat hospital labeled cases as ‘emergencies’ for quick approval under PM Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
A crime branch investigation into the angioplasty-related deaths at Khyati Hospital has revealed that the hospital labeled all patient files as “emergency” to secure swift approvals for medical procedures under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) scheme.
According to crime branch sources, PM-JAY officials admitted that they approved applications based solely on the “emergency” tag, skipping thorough reviews to fast-track pre-authorizations. This allowed the hospital to proceed with treatments without delays.
Investigators found that the hospital was aware that PM-JAY officials sanctioned between 1,300 and 4,000 emergency applications daily and took advantage of the process. To avoid scrutiny from unfamiliar PM-JAY officers, the hospital allegedly offered bribes and marked all its files as “emergency” to bypass the review system.
“The hospital ensured approvals were granted without delay by exploiting the emergency tag,” a crime branch officer said.
The investigation has also put four other major hospitals under surveillance for suspected involvement in the PM-JAY scam.
In response, the state government has introduced new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for PM-JAY claims and increased the scheme’s staff from 60 to 180 members.
So far, three FIRs have been registered in the Khyati Hospital case, and eight individuals have been arrested. On Sunday, the hospital’s director, Rajshree Patel, was remanded to 10-day police custody.
Meanwhile, hospital owner Kartik Patel, who fled to New Zealand after the deaths were reported, remains at large and was last tracked to Dubai.
Over the past three years, 5,637 people underwent medical checkups at health camps organized by the hospital across 69 villages in the state. Between September 1, 2021, and October 28, 2024, the hospital treated 8,534 patients, including 3,842 PM-JAY beneficiaries. Of these beneficiaries, 112 reportedly died, according to the crime branch statement.
