Alleging large-scale financial irregularities in West Bengal's health insurance scheme during the previous TMC regime, Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee said the BJP government had detected 'corruption to the tune of Rs 25-30 crore', with millions of beneficiary cards found to be 'fake and untraceable', PTI reported from Kolkata on October 31. 'We are already seeing corruption to the tune of Rs 25-30 crore. This is not a T20 cricket match, so it will take time. Gradually, you will see how much more information comes out,' the minister said on Friday.

Source: PTI via Kalimpong Online News

The discrepancies in the Swasthya Sathi scheme came to light as the government began scrutinising its database while preparing to facilitate coverage for eligible beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat and the state's Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana, he said. Mukherjee claimed the previous government had been spending around Rs 30 crore annually on insurance premiums linked to cards whose beneficiaries could not be verified. Door-to-door checks flagged about 2.5 to 3 million beneficiary cards as fake, untraceable or otherwise suspect, according to a summary of the minister's remarks.

Source: Particle News

Rs 25-30 croreAlleged irregularities detected so far, minister's claim
2.5-3 millionCards flagged fake, untraceable or suspect in checks
Rs 5 lakhCashless cover per family under Swasthya Sathi

Forensic audit ordered

Mukherjee alleged the suspected fraud spans multiple levels, citing fake cards, fake beneficiaries, fake patients, forged doctor signatures, fake hospitals and fake third-party information. He said the BJP government had initiated a forensic audit to establish the extent of the alleged financial irregularities and was also examining the scheme's database in detail before migrating eligible people to Ayushman Bharat and the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana. A separate report on Saturday also confirmed that the state government has ordered a forensic audit of the programme, which empanels a large number of private hospitals and diagnostic facilities.

Source: Medical Buyer

The minister also said discrepancies had been detected during verification of beneficiaries under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme of the previous TMC government. Swasthya Sathi, introduced in December 2016, provides cashless cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family, with the state paying the premiums. The figures and characterisations in this report are the health minister's allegations, made on Friday; no audit findings have been published yet, and the alleged irregularities have not been established through the forensic audit or any publicly detailed investigation findings.

Source: PTI via Kalimpong Online News