DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Health Department has imposed a penalty of Rs 11.82 lakh on Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital in Dehradun for violating the Atal Ayushman Yojana norms.

As per the department order, the hospital had discharged a heart patient on January 21 who was referred to undergo cardiothoracic and vascular surgery. The order also stated that the hospital had asked the patient’s family to pay Rs 2.36 lakh when Ayushman Yojana provides cashless treatment.

Victim Pinki Prasad’s husband protested at tehsil district administration office and wrote a letter to CM Trivendra Singh Rawat asking for help, but did not get a response. The patient died without treatment a few days later.

The department found that the estimate of Rs 2.36 lakh given to the family was also wrong and violated the MoU signed between the hospital and the state. The order signed by the Director of National Health Mission in Uttarakhand, Yugal Kishor Pant, stated that five times penalty of the amount has been suggested, which has to be submitted within a week.

Bhupendera Raturi, senior PRO of Indiresh Hospital, said that the patient was hospitalized under Ayushman Yojana for 10 days and it was not possible to conduct the surgery immediately. Raturi stated that it would be inappropriate to say that she was not given treatment under the scheme. (TNN)