J&K govt. orders inquiry into 103 heart procedures under PMJAY scheme, suspends doctor

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday (June 20, 2026) suspended a doctor and ordered an inquiry into allegations of misrepresentation of 103 cardiac procedures under the PMJAY-SEHAT scheme at Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, in south Kashmir.

“An inquiry was initiated after a complaint was received. A few things came to the fore during the investigation, and the doctor was suspended. The doctor will be given a chance to present his case. We will conclude the inquiry and will not allow any doctor to play with the lives of patients,” said J&K Health Minister Sakina Itoo.

The doctor has been identified as Dr. Syed Maqbool Ahmad Shah, Associate Professor of Cardiology. “During the period of his suspension, he shall remain attached to the office of Government Medical College, Jammu,” the order said.

According to the preliminary investigation, the doctor allegedly falsified medical records. “The doctor actually performed Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing (LBBAP) while claiming funds for a Dual Chamber Pacemaker. After 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,” said the preliminary investigation report.

The expert panel reported that “LBBAP is a highly specialised procedure with strict clinical boundaries”. “Twenty-seven of the 55 patients (49%) had normal LV (left ventricular) function and wide QRS morphology. There was absolutely no medical reason to perform LBBAP on these 27 individuals,” it added.

The investigation further alleged “flagrant procedural misrepresentation”. “He (the doctor) logged false descriptions in the official Transaction Management System (TMS), bypassed the government supply chain, and extorted money from patients who were legally entitled to free healthcare,” it added.

Officials said the State Anti-Fraud Unit (SAFU) had received multiple alerts from field teams regarding “suspected out-of-pocket expenditures incurred by poor patients at GMC, Anantnag”.

“A preliminary desk audit of the TMS data flagged a pattern under the Cardiology speciality. It revealed that 103 cardiac cases were booked under the Dual Chamber Pacemaker package. On December 19, 2025, the SAFU team conducted an unannounced on-site investigation at GMC Anantnag,” the report said.

It alleged that a patient, Peer Rafiq Ahmad, confirmed that “he was forced to pay ₹70,000 out of his own pocket”. The payment was made directly to a private firm, M/S SSB Combination. “The patient explicitly confirmed that Dr. Maqbool performed the procedure and directed the external financial transaction,” it added.

Meanwhile, GMC Anantnag administrator Mukbil Lateef said, “No individual can be declared guilty until the inquiry is completed and responsibility is established.”