The Odisha government on Friday de-empanelled Cuttack-based South Point Private Hospital for indulging in unethical practice and sending forged bills under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), the state’s flagship scheme in the health sector, to the state’s exchequer for reimbursement.

The state government has asked the Cuttack district administration to shift the patients to appropriate BSKY-empanelled private hospitals or to government facilities for further continuance of uninterrupted treatment.

“All the Swasthya Mitra deployed to the said hospital has been disengaged,” said a press release issued by the health department.

Health secretary Shalini Pandit has asked the officials to further investigate the claims raised by the hospital earlier vis-a-vis claims scrutinized by Claim Panel Doctors of the State Health Assurance Society.

“Intensive patient feedback is being collected through outbound calls to past patients at South Point Hospital in order to check past fraud if any,” said the release.

Meanwhile, the state government has directed all the collectors and district magistrates to take stringent action, if any fraud is detected, over extending the benefits under the healthcare scheme to the people.

BSKY beneficiaries are provided healthcare in empanelled private hospitals for an annual health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family and an additional Rs 5 lakh for the women members of the family after the exhaustion of the initial limit.

In 2022, the state government spent Rs 14,56.42 crore to provide treatment to patients under the BSKY.