Ahmedabad : Cardiologist Dr Prashant Vazirani, a key accused in the Khyati Hospital angioplasty scam, has received temporary relief from the National Medical Commission (NMC), which has put a stay on the Gujarat Medical Council (GMC) order debarring him for three years.
In November 2024, two patients from Mehsana district died after angioplasty procedures at Khyati Hospital. Dr Vazirani had conducted seven angioplasties, two of which led to fatalities. The incident exposed a scam involving unwarranted procedures performed to illegally claim funds under the PM-JAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) scheme.
The Ahmedabad police arrested nine people, including Dr Vazirani and Khyati Hospital directors. In response, GMC had removed Dr Vazirani from the register of medical practitioners for three years.
However, NMC, in its April 10 order, referred to a 2022 Bombay High Court ruling to stay the debarment, stating that allowing the GMC order before the appeal hearing would cause irreparable harm to Dr Vazirani.
The case has now escalated into a conflict between state and national medical bodies. GMC officials argued that a thorough probe by experts like those from UN Mehta Cardiology Hospital had found procedural lapses. Dr Vazirani remains in jail, with his bail still denied, and a 400-page supplementary chargesheet has been submitted.
Two other doctors—Dr Sanjay Patoliya (Medical Director) and Dr Shailesh Anand (a Gujarat govt PM-JAY official)—were also debarred in the aftermath.
Experts note that this is not the first time that doctors have challenged GMC rulings at NMC or the courts.
