CAG flags AB-PMJAY for not having whistle-blower policy

NEW DELHI — In its performance audit report on the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has revealed that six states and one union territory (UT) had not adopted the whistle-blower policy.

The audit noted that Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu had not adopted the Whistle-blower Policy, as per the CAG report on AB-PMJAY.

The report further said due to the non-adoption of the policy, the stakeholders involved in the scheme were deprived of the mechanism for complaining regarding the cases of corruption, medical and non- medical frauds, etc.

“The NHA (National Health Authority) while accepting the audit observation, replied (in August 2022) that states would be pursued to constitute these committees at the earliest and necessary directions would be issued for the implementation of whistleblower policy within defined timeline,” the CAG report said.

It added, “NHA issued the PMJAY whistle-blower policy as a step towards strengthening transparency and accountability in the implementation of PMJAY.”

The primary objective of the policy was to establish a mechanism to receive complaints relating to disclosure on any allegation of corruption, medical and non-medical fraud, etc., against any stakeholder involved with the implementation of PMJAY and to inquire or cause an inquiry into such disclosure and to provide adequate safeguards against the victimisation of the person making such a complaint, the report further said.

The AB-PMJAY provides a health cover up to Rs five lakh per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation services.

It provides cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiaries at the point of service — hospital.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had said it was examining in detail the recommendations of the CAG performance audit report on AB-PMJAY.

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