After reportedly undergoing needless medical treatments, 15 patients who survived cardiac surgeries at the Khyati Multispeciality Hospital in Ahmedabad petitioned the Gujarat High Court in November 2024 for justice. These patients, who had angioplasty at the hospital, say they are part of a larger scam that involves the government healthcare program Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). A group of patients from Mehsana district’s Borisana hamlet are calling for an independent investigation into their cases as well as the filing of a separate First Information Report (FIR).
The problem is that two patients who were part of a group of 19 people from the same hamlet died. The deaths of these patients, who had needless angioplasty at Khyati Hospital, provoked uproar. Three FIRs were made after the deaths: one by a doctor from a panel established by the government, and two by the relatives of the deceased patients. After the hospital’s activities were made public, Khyati Hospital was accused of abusing the PM-JAY program by performing unnecessary procedures on healthy people and robbing the government.
The remaining 15 patients, who petitioned the Gujarat High Court, assert that they were also the victims of needless treatments and are also dealing with health issues as a result. They contend that since their experiences have resulted in serious complications after the procedures, their cases ought to be looked with separately. These patients argue that the investigation should take into account their specific grievances and that they should have their own FIRs, distinct from the original ones submitted by the families of the deceased.
Concerns over the whistleblower who first sparked the FIRs are raised in the petition, but the survivors stress that this shouldn’t stop them from pursuing justice for their own experiences. Siddharth Desai, the victims’ attorney, anticipates that the High Court will consider the case on Thursday.
Kartik Patel, the director of Khyati Hospital, has submitted a petition to merge the three FIRs into a single one. Patel has avoided arrest since the scandal was made public. Patel contends that since the cases are based on the same facts, merging the investigations would expedite the procedure and eliminate needless work.
According to the BNS Act, the hospital has been charged with major crimes, such as culpable homicide, fraud, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. The case raises issues regarding the fraudulent activities in the medical system and the abuse of government healthcare programs.
SOURCE :
VIBES OF INDIA
