Srinagar, June 20 (IANS) Reports of pacemaker scam, patient exploitation, false insurance claims, unwarranted cardiac procedures, etc., by a cardiologist in the Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district have shocked people.

Serious allegations of blatant, wilful and professional dishonesty have been levelled against Dr Syed Maqbool, cardiologist at GMC Anantnag.

An explanation served on the accused cardiologist by the government said the doctor had falsified medical records and ‘performed’ unindicated surgeries.

The explanation said, “Cross-referencing the online TMS claims against the physical Cath Lab Procedure Register revealed that Dr Syed Maqbool actually performed Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing (LBBAP) while claiming funds for a Dual Chamber Pacemaker.

“Because LBBAP cases showed an alarming spike, the State Health Agency (SHA) referred the data to the Head of Department (HoD) of Cardiology at SKIMS, Soura, for an expert review.

“The expert panel reported that LBBAP is a highly specialised procedure with strict clinical boundaries. It is only indicated for patients with borderline/severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction for specific narrow QRS ECG morphology.

“The clinical audit of Dr Maqbool’s cases showed that 27 out of 55 patients (49%) had normal LV function and wide QRS morphology.

“There was absolutely no medical reason to perform LBBAP on these 27 individuals. Consequently, the SHA rejected these fraudulent claims.

“The technical experts at SKIMS, Soura, confirmed that Dr Syed Maqbool committed flagrant procedural misrepresentation. He logged false descriptions in the official TMS system, bypassed the government supply chain, and extorted money from patients who were legally entitled to free healthcare.

“These actions show a complete failure of devotion to duty, a gross abuse of official position, and serious medical malpractice.

“Thus, by the above acts and omissions, you have exhibited conduct unbecoming of a Government servant, failed to maintain devotion to duty, and committed grave misconduct warranting disciplinary action, including termination from service”.

The malpractices committed by the cardiologist include pacemaker implantation scam involving 103 heart patients. The expert committee further uncovered direct financial exploitation of PMJAY-SEHAT beneficiaries.

In one case cited in the chargesheet, a patient identified as Peer Rafiq Ahmad was forced to pay Rs 70,000 to a private vendor for a cardiac procedure despite being entitled to completely cashless treatment under the government-sponsored scheme.

Investigators claim beneficiary audits and field verification established that the payment was made outside the official hospital mechanism and that the patient attributed the transaction to directions issued by the treating doctor.

Officials have described the incident as a gross violation of PMJAY-SEHAT guidelines and a serious infringement of patient rights.

The chargesheet also accuses the cardiologist of bypassing established procurement and supply-chain mechanisms by allegedly sourcing medical implants and hardware directly from private vendors instead of utilising approved institutional channels involving the PMJAY Section, Casualty Medical Officer and AMRIT Store.

–IANS

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