J&K Govt bans six doctors for unethical practices under Ayushman Bharat scheme

SRINAGAR — The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has banned six government doctors from medical practice under the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)/SEHAT scheme after they were found guilty of engaging in unethical practices.

The Health and Medical Education Department, through Government Order No. 509-JK (HME) of 2025, issued today, confirmed that these doctors had either practiced privately during official duty hours or made unethical referrals to private Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCPs).

The findings emerged following a comprehensive evaluation carried out by the State Health Agency, Jammu and Kashmir. According to the report, the involvement of these doctors in private medical practice during government-assigned working hours was not only widespread but also alarming in scale.

In one of the most glaring violations, Dr Bilal Ahmad Bashir, a Consultant Surgeon at GMC Anantnag, was found to have handled 312 such cases. Another offender, Dr Ishaq, posted at District Hospital Pulwama, had engaged in 170 similar instances, while Dr Younis Kamal, an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics at GMC Anantnag, had 185 cases against his name.

In addition to unauthorized private practice, the inquiry also exposed unethical behaviour by three other doctors who had allegedly made referrals to private EHCPs in violation of the scheme’s guidelines. Dr Vikas Gupta, posted at CHC Hiranagar, had 19 such referrals to his name. Dr Manju Kumari, serving at Emergency Hospital Vijaypur, was found responsible for 18 cases, while Dr Raj Kumar Bhagat of District Hospital Samba was involved in 12 such instances.

The government has expressed serious concern over these violations, noting that despite drawing full-time salaries from the public exchequer, the aforementioned doctors prioritized personal gain through private practice and referrals.

The official order stated that their actions significantly outweighed any contribution they made to government service, effectively undermining the objectives of the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and SEHAT schemes, which are meant to provide equitable, free healthcare access to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.