Happy you are recovering: Ayushman Bharat's message to cop 42 days after death
A police constable in Chhattisgarh who died 42 days ago was still "recovering" in the Ayushman Bharat health insurance system. His family had performed his
A police constable in Chhattisgarh who died 42 days ago was still "recovering" in the Ayushman Bharat health insurance system. His family had performed his last rites and received his death certificate. His wife, still mourning his death, then received a WhatsApp message on his phone saying that he was healthy and on his way home. "Dear Dev Narayan Ram, we are happy that you are recovering and going home. We hope that you are satisfied with the free healthcare services provided under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)," the message read, according to his wife, Seema Kujur, who posted a video on social media questioning how such a message could have been sent. Read Full Story The constable, Dev Narayan Ram, was admitted to Ambikapur Medical College Hospital in Surguja on June 26 and died during treatment four days later, on June 30. The message, sent 42 days after his death, not only raised questions over the timely updating of patient records but also whether his continued status as a patient could have allowed Ayushman Bharat benefits to be unlawfully availed for an extended period.
The hospital, however, has denied that any payment was claimed for treatment after Narayan's death and attributed the lapse to a delay by the data entry operator in closing the patient's record. "My husband was being treated at Ambikapur Medical Hospital and died during treatment. We have performed his last rites, and now, 42 days later, we are receiving messages saying he is recovering and returning home. How can such a major technical flaw occur? I want an investigation into this," Seema said. She noted the incident was particularly disturbing because she herself is a hospital employee and understands the importance of maintaining accurate patient records. According to Seema, the family completed all formalities following Narayan's death, including his last rites and an official death certificate was also issued. Despite this, the Ayushman system continued to generate a message indicating that the patient was recovering. "If such an incident can happen to me, despite being a hospital employee, one can imagine what may happen to ordinary people and poor tribal communities," she added. Seema has demanded a high-level and impartial investigation into the matter and sought strict action against employees found responsible.
She said any irregularity, negligence or discrepancy found in the hospital or Ayushman records should be dealt with strictly so that people do not lose faith in the healthcare system and such an incident is not repeated. Ambikapur Medical Hospital's Dr Shailendra Gupta confirmed that Dev Narayan had been admitted to the hospital and treated under the Ayushman Card scheme. However, he rejected the family's allegation that the Ayushman Card was used for 42 days. According to Gupta, Dev Narayan was admitted on June 26 and died four days later, on June 30. He said the amount corresponding to only those four days of treatment was deducted under the Ayushman scheme and that no additional amount was deducted after the patient's death. “The patient was being treated using the Ayushman card. He died after four days. The allegations made by the family are false. The amount was deducted from the Ayushman card only for four days during the treatment,” Gupta said. He added the Ayushman Card should ideally have been closed immediately after Dev Narayan's death, but there was a delay in doing so. According to the hospital, the delay was linked to the data entry operator responsible for maintaining Ayushman-related records.
The BriefWire