GUWAHATI: In a decisive action against corruption, Dhubri Police on Tuesday nabbed Habibul Hasan Alom, the staffer of Dhubri Medical College and Hospital, in a crackdown on a large scam where Ayushman Bharat health cards were used fraudulently. Habibul Hasan Alom is said to have orchestrated this massive scam dealing with the malpractices of Ayushman Bharat health cards, that's launched by the government for poor families to obtain free services under health care. The arrest has given a shock to the locality and people are feeling concerned about the integrity of the healthcare system.
Alom is a resident of the Jhagrarpar locality of Dhubri district who siphoned government money by providing Ayushman Bharat medical services to ineligible beneficiaries. The scheme, according to sources, was supposed to provide financial protection to an individual for various medical treatments. Evidently, such schemes were otherwise adopted for personal benefits. It is further alleged that Alom sought payment from people for getting treatment in his hospital. Because of this, these patients could file for benefits and get the same even though they didn't qualify for it. Allegedly, this extra-benefit malpractice happened right inside the hospital grounds, making this well-respected medical facility a hotbed of corruption.
The activity came to light when Dhubri Medical College and Hospital filed a formal complaint with the authorities with suspicions of foul play. The agency or organization after reviewing themselves found evidence through internal review that misappropriation had indeed taken place in handling Ayushman Bharat cards. This was what set off a swift police investigation leading to Alom's arrest.
The authorities are investigating further in the matter to understand the full expanse of the scandal. There is a probe in place to establish whether Alom was a lone operator or whether there were other assistants within the net of the hospital. Since millions of people across the country have been benefited through the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the fraud perpetrates its implications far beyond Dhubri, bringing out vulnerabilities in its implementatory scheme.
Questions of massive corruption prevailing in the health care sector loom large as an incident sparks outrage among not only citizens from the city Dhubri but the state itself. Citizens are demanding more stringent measures to ensure that government welfare schemes are able to reach their destined beneficiaries without the obstacles created by corrupt officials.
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