ED Raids Hospitals in Himachal hot on heels of Himcare Scheme reimbursement from private hospitals canceled by the Sukhu government recently..
Shimla: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at multiple hospitals and private establishments across Himachal Pradesh, including the premises of Congress MLA R.S. Bali, as part of an investigation into alleged fraud related to the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
The raids, which took place in locations such as Shimla, Kangra, Una, Mandi, and Kullu, as well as in Delhi and Chandigarh, were part of a larger money laundering probe involving significant sums of money and incriminating documents.
ED Raided the Balaji Multispeciality hospital run by Congress leader Dr Rajesh Sharma, who withdrew in favour of CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur from Dehra in the recent by-election.
ED also raided the Fortis hospital Kangra run by the company of Congress leader and Chairman of the Vice Chairman HPTDC and Nagrota Bagwan MLA Raghubir Singh Bali.
This action comes in the wake of the state government, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, discontinuing the Himcare scheme, which was introduced by the previous BJP government under Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
The Himcare scheme was aimed at providing healthcare reimbursements for treatments at private hospitals for patients not covered under Ayushman Bharat scheme and has come a big relief to over 32 lakh subscribers, said the sources
Insurance claims of genuine patients who had got treatment even from PGI in November 2023 under Himcare scheme have not been reimbursed by the state government.
The recent raids have uncovered documents and cash amounting to over Rs 4 crore, which have raised questions about potential misuse of funds and irregularities in private hospitals misusing the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
The discontinuation of the Himcare scheme has been a contentious issue, with the current government citing financial impracticalities and inefficiencies.
However, the BJP has criticized the move, alleging that the cancellation was politically motivated and has left many citizens without necessary med insurance support.
As the investigation continues, the ED is focusing on unearthing deeper connections and financial irregularities tied to the alleged misuse of Ayushman scheme, revealed sources.
This development highlights ongoing political tensions and the significant implications for healthcare policies in Himachal Pradesh.
ED has not shared the details of raids officially so far in public domain.
However Bali and Congress have yet to react to the raids.
Updates awaited
