Srinagar, Jun 20 (NVI): An Associate Professor of Cardiology at a government medical college in Kashmir has been suspended on charges of procedural misrepresentation and financial impropriety under the PMJAY-SEHAT scheme.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended Dr Syed Maqbool Ahmad Shah, a senior cardiologist posted at Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, pending an inquiry into his conduct, according to an official order.
The doctor has been placed under suspension with immediate effect under Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956, the order said.
The order, issued by the Health and Medical Education Department on Saturday, said the suspension would remain in force pending completion of the inquiry.
During the suspension period, Shah will remain attached to the office of Government Medical College, Jammu, it added.
Health Minister Sakeena Itoo said the inquiry is underway and whoever is found guilty will be punished as per the law.
According to the departmental memorandum, cross-referencing online TMS claims against the physical Cath Lab Procedure Register revealed that Dr Maqbool actually performed Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing (LBBAP) while claiming funds for a Dual Chamber Pacemaker.
The State Health Agency (SHA) referred the data to the Head of Department of Cardiology at SKIMS Soura for expert review.
The expert panel reported that LBBAP is a highly specialised procedure with strict clinical boundaries, only indicated for patients with borderline or severe left ventricular dysfunction for specific narrow QRS ECG morphology.
The clinical audit showed that 27 out of 55 patients (49 per cent) had normal LV function and wide QRS morphology, with no medical reason to perform LBBAP on these individuals. Consequently, SHA rejected these claims as fraudulent.
The memorandum stated that Dr Maqbool logged false descriptions in the official TMS system, bypassed the government supply chain, and extorted money from patients legally entitled to free healthcare, constituting a gross abuse of official position and serious medical malpractice warranting disciplinary action, including termination.
“Let the inquiry be completed. We are waiting for the report, and whoever is found guilty will be punished as per the law,” the Health Minister said. (NVI)
