After the State Government has given clean-chit to Chirayu hospital, Ayushman Bharat MP office served a show cause notice to the hospital in Bhopal on Monday in connection with refusal of Ayushman card benefits to a Covid-19 patient who later died during treatment.

The incident was in the limelight in the city on Sunday when a local resident had released two videos on social media. 

In one of the videos, DIG bungalow resident Yogesh Balwani claimed that his mother Rukmani Balwani (63) was admitted to Chirayu hospital on April 19 for covid19 treatment and he deposited Rs 2.5 lakh subsequently with the hospital.

After Shivraj government announced treatment of covid19 patient under Ayushman scheme and listed Chirayu hospital in the same on May 7, Balwani was making rounds at hospital billing counter and other departments to ensure treatment benefits to mother under the scheme.

His mother despite having an Ayushman scheme beneficiary card, wasn’t extended scheme benefits and none in the hospital offered a convincing reply.

Claiming that he on Friday night met hospital manager Gaurav Bajaj, Balwani issued another video in which he is enquiring about Ayushman scheme benefit for his mother but Bajaj rudely replies that they are not offering any benefits and the hospital was answerable to government and not him. After Balwani insisted on a logical reply, Bajaj asked his men to thrown him out.

Later he also spoke to Chirayu hospital MD Dr Ajay Goenka. “The man also rudely said that he won’t extend Ayushman benefits and I can complain to anyone in MP or New Delhi,” claimed Balwani. 

The man said that his mother had died on Saturday evening but the hospital declined to hand over the body and demanded Rs three lakh as pending payment. On Sunday, they offered the body after many pleas and promises of payment later. Soon after I cremated my mother, I started getting payment calls from the hospital who warned of legal action in case of non-payment, said the man. 

As the controversy snowballed, Chirayu hospital Managing Director Dr Ajay Goenka issued a video statement on Sunday evening claiming that the man in question had issued a partial video. “The woman in question was admitted in the hospital since April 19 and the Ayushman treatment order was issued on May 7. Since then, we have started extending treatment benefits to the eligible patients. I am issuing a disclaimer on the video.”

However, the social media anguish did not ebb as people sought action on the hospital saying it was challenging the government orders.

On Monday, Home minister Narottam Mishra speaking to the media on the incident said, “Owner of the hospital has rejected the allegation so nothing left to say,” said the minister calling the hospital a reputed institution which is treating people from across the state.

Meanwhile by evening the S Viswanathan the Chief Executive Officer of the Ayushman Bharat MP ‘Niramayam’ issued a show cause notice to the Chirayu hospital spelling out scheme provisions including reservation of 20% beds so that none is denied admission. Seeking a detailed reply on the said incident, the officer warned the hospital of action in case of non-reply.