MP govt suspends Vedanta Hospital from ‘Ayushman Bharat’ for ‘grave’ violations

The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended the multi specialty Vedanta Hospital in Indore from the Ayushman Bharat Niramayam Yojana after serious violations of the scheme’s prescribed standards were discovered during an official inspection.

The action was taken following a physical inspection conducted by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ayushman Bharat Niramayam scheme. During the inspection, authorities found the condition of the hospital’s operation theatres to be extremely poor and unhygienic. Officials also reported several irregularities and instances where the hospital failed to comply with guidelines set by the central government under the scheme.

According to government officials, the hospital was also unable to provide emergency medical services to patients, which is a critical requirement for facilities empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat program. Due to these significant shortcomings, the Executive Officer of the Ayushman Bharat Niramayam scheme ordered the immediate suspension of Vedanta Hospital from the list of empanelled hospitals.

Authorities further revealed that despite being empanelled under the Surgical Oncology category, the hospital did not have a Tumour Board available. A Tumour Board is an essential multidisciplinary panel of specialists responsible for reviewing and planning treatment strategies for cancer patients. Its absence raised serious concerns about the hospital’s ability to provide proper oncology care.

The inspection also uncovered several operational deficiencies. Officials found that the hospital lacked adequate promotional and informational material related to the scheme. In addition, there were insufficient arrangements for providing meals to patients and a noticeable shortage of staff members to manage medical services effectively.

The State Health Agency has classified these issues as serious financial and procedural lapses. Authorities have also warned that further strict action could be taken if necessary, including the possibility of permanently removing the hospital from the Ayushman Bharat Niramayam scheme.

Vedanta Hospital in Indore is known as a multi specialty private healthcare facility that focuses on providing relatively affordable medical services. It has been recognised for offering round the clock emergency care and for being empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat program, which enables eligible patients to receive free treatment for several major surgeries.

The Ayushman Bharat Niramayam scheme is the Madhya Pradesh government’s implementation of the Prime Minister’s Jan Arogya Yojana. The program provides free health insurance coverage of up to Rs five lakh per year to eligible low income families in the state.

It covers both secondary and tertiary medical care at empanelled hospitals and primarily benefits families living below the poverty line, Sambal Yojana beneficiaries, and in some cases construction workers. (With inputs from IANS)