Madhya Pradesh: Mandatory biometrics for hospital admission under Ayushman puts patients in trouble – ET HealthWorld

Indore: Hundreds of patients mostly kids and elderly are struggling to get treatment under PMJAY-Ayushman Scheme in Madhya Pradesh as State Health Agency (SHA) mandated biometrics for admission to hospitals.

The SHA mandated biometrics- thumb impression from September 17 against National Health Agency (NHA) guidelines, which allows both thumb impression and other ways for getting admission.

In districts like Indore, around 20 such complaints related to non-admission because of input of thumb impression into the system are raised. Similarly, it has been happening in other districts.

In several cases of planned surgeries, it is causing delay in treatment as SHA is non-responsive on communique forwarded to them through official e-mail for their guidance.

The senior health officials claimed mandating was necessary to stop the fraud happening in the hospitals across MP. Around a couple of months back, several FIR’s were registered and fake admissions under Ayushman in several hospitals across districts were reported.

When MP Ayushman CEO Ayushman Choudhary told TOI, “There are several issues in admission through thumb impression, but the hospitals can do it by retina scan, photographs, and other ways. In failure of all such, a certificate can be issued to the beneficiary and his treatment can be started.”

The hospitals however are rejecting the treatment to patients in case the thumb impression is not matched. Choudhary further said, “There are several issues on a daily basis. But it is only a matter of time, and the process will be streamlined very soon.”

“On Monday, issues in admission in only 100 cases of those 17,900 across states were reported from hospital. These are very less but it will help in curbing the frauds and release of early payments to the hospitals”, added Choudhry.

On no-response from SHA to hospitals, Choudhary said, “The replies are given based on requirement. The responses are sent immediately clearing the issue in case of emergency requirements.”