FIRs Initiated Against Private Hospital and Diagnostic Centre
In a major crackdown, the Rajasthan Health Department has suspended nearly seven government doctors over alleged irregularities under the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS). The state government has also initiated steps to register FIRs against a private nursing home and a diagnostic centre for allegedly misusing the scheme.
Principal Secretary (Health) Gayatri Rathore said the action followed a detailed audit conducted in Sikar district, where several discrepancies were detected in the implementation of RGHS. Based on the audit findings, seven doctors have been placed under suspension pending further inquiry.
The suspended doctors include two associate professors from the orthopaedics department and one associate professor from general medicine at Sikar Medical College. Additionally, a doctor from CHC Kirwa and four doctors from SK Hospital have also faced suspension.
Speaking to The Times of India, Rathore stated that the government is continuously taking measures to ensure transparency and smooth functioning of RGHS. She added that strict action would be taken wherever financial irregularities are established.
Apart from departmental action, FIRs are being registered against a nursing home in Bharatpur and a diagnostic and imaging centre in Bikaner. Rathore confirmed that letters have been sent to the respective Chief Medical and Health Officers to proceed with legal action.
According to the probe report, one of the private hospitals allegedly displayed an RGHS board despite not being approved under the scheme at that time. The hospital reportedly treated RGHS beneficiaries, collected their SSO ID passwords to generate transaction IDs (TIDs), and later adjusted tests and medicines on the RGHS portal to claim payments. Fake bills were allegedly generated in the names of beneficiaries to obtain reimbursements. The hospital has since been de-empanelled from RGHS.
RGHS Chief Executive Officer Harjilal Atal said the investigation revealed collusion between a pharmacy and the nursing home, resulting in financial loss to the state exchequer. Fraudulent practices were allegedly used to attract beneficiaries and claim undue payments under the scheme.
In another case, scrutiny of claims submitted by a diagnostic and imaging centre in Bikaner revealed that certain patients were allegedly prescribed excessive or medically unjustified tests, including HbA1c, RA Factor, and Procalcitonin. Verification by senior doctors at a government hospital found discrepancies in prescriptions, including forged signatures and handwriting. Some doctors named on the prescriptions were either on leave, not posted at the hospital during the relevant period, or had registration dates later than the prescriptions shown, raising serious concerns of fraud.
