Special Correspondent
Pune: A well-known knee surgeon from Pune has been booked by the city police for allegedly falsifying patient records and fabricating surgery details to claim beneficiary funds under the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Urban Poor Health Scheme. The incident occurred between May 20 and 30, 2024, at Modern Hospital in Nana Peth.
Dr. Sharad Prakash Chavan, a PMC health department official from Bibvewadi, filed a criminal complaint against Dr. Shoaib Nazim Shaikh, the 37-year-old owner of Modern Hospital, at Samarth police station. Dr. Shaikh has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and using forged documents for fraudulent purposes.
According to Senior Inspector Umesh Gite from Samarth police station, the case was registered after PMC officials reviewed the documents of patients who had purportedly received treatment and surgery under the Urban Poor Medical Assistance Scheme. The hospital claimed that between May 20 and 30, 2024, it had treated and performed surgeries on ten patients under the scheme. However, upon contacting these patients for verification, PMC officials discovered discrepancies.
The investigation revealed that out of the ten patients listed, only three had legitimate records. The remaining seven patients were not registered, and the hospital had submitted forged documents showing that non-admitted patients had undergone surgeries. These fraudulent bills were submitted to PMC for reimbursement under the health scheme.
A PMC health officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that an investigation into the financial transactions is ongoing. “Dr. Shaikh has exploited his position at Modern Hospital to defraud the PMC by creating fake records of surgeries and treatments to claim funds under the scheme,” the officer stated.
Police Inspector Gite confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and Dr. Shaikh is expected to be arrested soon. Efforts to reach Modern Hospital for comment were unsuccessful.
