Action will be taken against Chirayu Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), which is empanelled with Ayushman Bharat Scheme, and had denied treatment to the beneficiaries of scheme – saying that all the authorities have been instructed about it. A notice has been issued by District Administration to CMCH and soon a strict action will be taken against the hospital. In a viral video about the incident where the hospital manager Gaurav Bajaj is heard saying, “This is Chirayu Medical College and Hospital and Dr Goenka, who is owner of this hospital, has decided that Ayushman Card will not be applicable in Covid treatment and we have told this to all the authorities.”

 

“We won’t accept Ayushman Cards,” the Hospital Manager is heard saying in a video recorded by a youth, who lost his 64-year-old mother to Covid-19 while she was undergoing treatment at CMCH. Later in the video, Bajaj misbehaves with the youth and asks the security guards to kick him out of the hospital premises. This is a classic example of how, despite several orders by the District Administration to provide beneficiaries of the scheme with free treatment, the hospitals are adamant on charging hefty fees from the patients. Collector Avinash Lavania told ‘The Hitavada’ that a notice was issued to the hospital for action and all documents of the hospital were sought immediately. The incident has also sparked controversy as around a week ago, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced that free treatment of COVID-19 will be provided to Ayushman Card holders.

 

A resident of DIG Bungalow area, Yogesh Balwani had admitted his Covid-19 positive mother Rukmani Balwani to Chirayu Hospital for treatment but unfortunately she died on Saturday evening. Since then the family of patient had submitted Rs 2.5 lakh to the hospital for treatment but the hospital denied to handover the dead body and demanded Rs 2.5 lakh more from the family. The hospital management after it was assured to them of that the remaining amount will be submitted soon, handed over the body at 11 am on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

Putting the allegations of not providing free COVID-19 treatment to Ayushman Card holders, Director of Chirayu Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) Dr Ajay Goenka said, “Even today patients are admitted at Chirayu Hospital under Ayushman Bharat Scheme.” Dr Goenka himself released a video and rectified that the mother of youth who made the video viral was admitted to CMCH on April 19 and the state government has released orders of giving free COVID-19 treatment to beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat scheme on May 7. “The person who has said things in my name are wrong and CMCH is providing treatment under Ayushman Bharat Scheme,” Dr Goenka added.