Five hospitals in Pune receive notice for violations of MPJAY scheme
In Maharashtra’s Pune, five private hospitals, including two medical colleges, are facing scrutiny for their alleged exploitation of patients enrolled in the state’s cashless medical insurance scheme, the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MPJAY). As per information, these hospitals exploited patients by asking for money for the cashless scheme, prescribing medicines and denying treatment to the patients.
The Public Health Department has issued show-cause notices to these hospitals located in various areas, including Pimpri Chinchwad, Alandi, Satara Road, and Pune City. These notices have been sent in response to the 180 complaints filed by the patients, accusing the five hospitals of demanding money for treatment, prescribing unnecessary medicines and denying to provide necessary care.
A concerning case involved a hospital in Chinchwad that reportedly denied kidney transplant treatment under MPJAY, despite the scheme covering such procedures. Another patient, requesting anonymity, who was being treated for Pneumonia, alleged that the hospital in Pimpri, where he was admitted, asked for Rs 25,000 to get medicines from outside, but the treatment was free. They complained to the authorities after getting discharged from the hospital.
Speaking about the issue, Ravindrakumar Shetye, Assistant Director (Health Services), MPJAY, said, “If our team receives any such complaints from the patients, we have a grievance portal to which the complaint gets added. After investigating the matter thoroughly, if any money is taken from the patients, we make sure to return the amount to them.”
Dr. Vaibhav Gaikwad, District Coordinator, MPJAY, said, “Sometimes the resident’s doctors give outside medicines to the patients, but if we receive any such complaint, we make sure to return the spent money to the patients after checking their medical bills. And till the time the patient doesn’t receive the amount back, we don’t pay the hospital the claim money.”
