A doctor in Jammu and Kashmir was suspended on Saturday after an inquiry revealed that nearly 50% of his patients who underwent advanced cardiac surgical procedures did not require them. The Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department uncovered fraudulent insurance claims, patient exploitation, and unnecessary procedures on healthy patients, naming Dr Syed Maqbool, a cardiologist at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag.
Pacemaker Implantation Scam
The incident revolves around an alleged pacemaker implantation scam involving 103 cardiac patients. Experts found that out of 55 patients who underwent the procedure, 27 had normal heart function, with no medical reason for the surgery. Dr Maqbool was placed under suspension pending an inquiry, according to an order issued by Commissioner/Secretary M Raju. During the suspension, the doctor will remain attached to the office of GMC Jammu.
Government Response
State Health Minister Sakina Itoo stated that the inquiry was initiated after receiving several complaints. She urged doctors not to compromise with people's lives and assured that the government is taking necessary action. The charges against Dr Maqbool include falsification of records, system-wide fraud, exploiting patients, colluding with private vendors, and unauthorized medical interventions.
The department alleged that Dr Maqbool booked 103 cases under the 'Dual Chamber Pacemaker Implantation' package on the Transaction Management System (TMS) but actually performed Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing (LBBAP), a more advanced procedure. This misrepresentation was intended to siphon public welfare funds from the PMJAY/SEHAT scheme.
Independent Expert Evaluation
An independent expert evaluation of 55 suspected LBBAP cases revealed that 27 patients (49%) had completely normal left ventricular function and wide QRS morphology, indicating no clinical justification for the procedure. The findings emerged during an expert audit conducted after the State Health Agency noticed an unusual spike in LBBAP-related claims from GMC Anantnag in December 2025.
Financial Exploitation
The inquiry uncovered allegations of direct financial exploitation of PMJAY-SEHAT beneficiaries. Dr Maqbool forced vulnerable patients to pay out-of-pocket expenses for procedures done within a government facility. In one case, a patient was coerced into paying Rs 70,000 to a private company. The department accused the doctor of severe criminal misconduct.
Dr Maqbool deliberately bypassed the institutional supply chain network of GMC Anantnag, failing to source required medical hardware through the mandatory path. Instead, he illegally collaborated with private external vendors, destroying hospital transparency, quality control, and accountability protocols. Mandatory approvals and procurement protocols were ignored, and certain records were not made available during the investigation.
Investigation Background
The State Anti-Fraud Unit (SAFU) received multiple alerts regarding out-of-pocket expenditures incurred by poor patients at GMC Anantnag. A preliminary desk audit of TMS data flagged a pattern under the cardiology specialty, revealing 103 cardiac cases blocked under the Dual Chamber Pacemaker package. On December 19, 2025, the SAFU team conducted an unannounced on-site investigation at GMC Anantnag, interviewing the Medical Superintendent, Cath Lab In-charge, Accounts Section, and AMRIT Store In-charge.
The hospital protocol requires the cardiologist to generate a requisition, but Dr Maqbool ignored the institutional process. He sourced hardware directly from private vendors, and the local AMRIT Store management withheld procurement data since April 2025, indicating systemic collusion. The audit team randomly sampled patient files and found that while online system notes claimed standard Dual Chamber Pacemaker implantations, physical verification revealed a different reality.
Patient Case
In one case, patient Peer Rafiq Ahmad was forced to pay Rs 70,000 out of his own pocket directly to a private firm, M/s SSB Combination, via an invoice generated outside the hospital system. The patient confirmed that Dr Maqbool performed the procedure and directed the external financial transaction. Cross-referencing online TMS claims against the physical Cath Lab Procedure Register revealed that the accused performed LBBAP while claiming funds for a Dual Chamber Pacemaker.
The State Health Agency referred the data to the Head of Department of Cardiology at SKIMS, Soura, for an expert review. The experts confirmed that there was no medical reason to perform LBBAP on these 27 individuals, and the SHA rejected the fraudulent claims. The technical experts at SKIMS confirmed that Dr Maqbool committed flagrant procedural misrepresentation, logged false descriptions in the TMS system, bypassed the government supply chain, and extorted money from patients entitled to free healthcare.
Disciplinary Action
The memorandum stated that Dr Maqbool exhibited conduct unbecoming of a government servant, failed to maintain devotion to duty, and committed grave misconduct warranting disciplinary action, including termination. The government has proposed departmental proceedings under the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. Dr Maqbool has been directed to submit his written defense within a week, failing which proceedings will be held ex parte.
