West Bengal medical fraud: Doctor removes patient's appendix during hernia operation to claim govt funds

North 24 Parganas: A case of medical fraud has been reported from Panihati area of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. A patient, who got admitted for hernia surgery, was operated upon for appendix just to claim compensation Swasthya Sathi health scheme.

The patient Biswajit Das, a resident of Deshbandhu Nagar in Panihati, had been suffering from hernia and underwent treatment at Panihati State General Hospital. Dr. Biswajit Das, who shares the same name, allegedly advised the patient to shift to his private nursing home and assured him that the surgery could be performed there under the Swasthya Sathi scheme. However, the catch was that the hernia surgery wasn't covered under the govt health scheme, but appendix removal was.

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The patient Biswajit agreed believing the procedure would be performed at minimal personal cost.  However, days after the surgery, the patient noticed swelling and discomfort in the lower abdomen. His family took him for an ultrasound scan suspecting complications. The report shockingly revealed that the hernia was still intact and no surgery had been performed in that area. Instead, his appendix was removed.

When Biswajit contacted Dr. Das for answers, the doctor reportedly dodged his queries. The patient now alleges that the appendectomy was performed on him purely to claim reimbursement under the Swasthya Sathi scheme, which covers appendicitis but not hernia surgeries.

“They did an operation I didn’t need, just to make money off the health scheme,” Biswajit said.

'Swasthya Sathi' is a government sponsored health insurance scheme launched by the West Bengal government to provide free secondary and tertiary medical care to economically disadvantaged families. It covers up to Rs 5 lakh per annum per family and is cashless and paperless. However, not all medical procedures are included or covered under this scheme.

Repeated attempts by the patient to reach Dr. Biswajit Das failed as he reportedly disconnected phone calls. District Health Officer Dr. Samudra Sengupta confirmed that multiple complaints had been filed against the doctor previously. “He has been transferred from Panihati State General Hospital. If the allegations are found true, strict legal action will follow,” he stated.