2 PMJAY beneficiaries who died post-angioplasty didn't need procedure; FIR on hospital: Gujarat government

Ahmedabad | Two men enrolled under a central government health scheme, who died soon after angioplasty was performed on them at a private hospital in Ahmedabad, did not require the heart procedure, a top Gujarat government officer said on Wednesday, citing a preliminary probe.

He termed the matter as very serious and said the Gujarat government will file a police complaint of culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy against the hospital management over the death of the two persons who were enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).

The two men -- Nagarbhai Senma (59) and Mahesh Barot (45) -- were among seven persons on whom angioplasty was performed at Khyati Multispeciality Hospital, situated in Ahmedabad's Bodakdev area, on Monday.

The duo, residents of Mehsana district, died the same night at around 10 at the hospital. Angioplasty is a procedure that widens blocked or narrowed coronary arteries to improve blood flow to the heart.

A preliminary probe by the state government has revealed that angioplasty was performed on these seven persons despite the fact that there was no need for the procedure, said Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare department) Dhananjay Dwivedi.

"Our inquiry panel learnt that there was no need for angioplasty. Yet, the hospital went ahead with the procedure. Moreover, these patients were not given proper post-operative treatment. As a result, two of them died at around 10 pm on Monday. We consider this as a very serious matter," Dwivedi told reporters in Gandhinagar.

"The state government has decided to file a police complaint against the hospital management for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, forgery and criminal conspiracy. We will request the Gujarat Medical Council to take action against doctors involved in this act," said the IAS officer.

While the private hospital has been "debarred" under PMJAY following the incident, doctors who had performed the angioplasty as well as angiography of all the patients will not be allowed to offer their services at any other medical facility under the scheme, Dwivedi noted.

"We will also investigate all the past cardiology-related cases handled by the hospital under PMJAY. Moreover, action will be taken against other hospitals run by the owners of this hospital (Khyati Multispeciality)," said Dwivedi.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel had on Tuesday ordered a probe into the death of the two PMJAY beneficiaries.

The relatives of the two patients alleged the hospital kept everyone in the dark and conducted the procedure in a haste to raise medical bills under the government scheme.

The Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY provides free health insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh per year to the needy people.

The preliminary probe by authorities indicated the hospital had arranged a free medical check-up camp at Borisana village under Kadi taluka of Mehsana district on Sunday.

After the camp, the hospital brought 19 villagers to its facility in Ahmedabad on Monday, saying they will have to undergo angiography, Patel said.

After angiography, a process which involves the use of X-ray imaging to examine blood vessels and see if they are narrowed or blocked, doctors performed angioplasty on seven of them and also put stents.