Dr. Syed Maqbool, senior cardiologist in the cardiology department of the Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, has been suspended due to allegations of fraud in health schemes. This suspension order has been given by the Health and Medical Education Department under Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. Dr. Maqbool is an Associate Professor of Cardiology at the Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag. This administrative action against him will remain in force until the investigation is completed.
Jammu and Kashmir government suspended Dr. Maqbool and issued a notice to him after investigating 103 cardiac surgery cases registered under 'Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Sehat' (AB-PMJAY-SEHAT). The investigation found discrepancies between the claims uploaded on the Transaction Management System (TMS) and the entries made for catheterization laboratory procedures. It is alleged that while funds were claimed for dual-chamber pacemaker implantation, the procedure of 'left bundle branch area pacing' was actually done.
On the case of alleged scam in Ayushman Bharat scheme against a GMC doctor, JK Health Minister Sakina Itu said that we have started investigation and have suspended the concerned doctor. When asked about the alleged fraud in the cardiology department of the GMC, he said, "Let the investigation be completed. He said the department had already started the investigation. Now the report is awaited and whoever is found guilty will be punished as per law."
PDP leader Iltija Mufti has tried to corner the Abdullah government on this issue. He wrote in his ex-post, The result of the institutional corruption of the J&K government has now come to light in the form of a big health racket in GMC Anantnag, where cardiologists performed unnecessary advanced cardiac surgeries even on patients who did not need it! All this was done to grab the money of PM-JAY scheme.
He further said, instead of bringing J&K's crumbling healthcare system back on track, this government and its cabinet ministers are focusing on wrong priorities and continuously using abusive language against the PDP. The purpose of PM-JAY and many other central welfare schemes is to help poor patients who do not have money to afford treatment, and not to line the pockets of corrupt people.
J&K governments institutionalised corruption has now resulted in a massive health racket at GMC Anantnag where its cardiologists performed unnecessary advanced cardiac surgeries on unwitting patients who didn't even need them! All to embezzle funds from the PM-JAY scheme.
— Iltija Mufti (@IltijaMufti_) June 20, 2026
Tagging the CM and PMO of the state, he further wrote, Cheating with apron: To grab PMJAY money, 49% of heart surgeries were done on healthy patients in GMC Anantnag.
