Overview
- Health officials suspended Dr. Syed Maqbool and issued a departmental charge sheet after a probe alleged he recorded 103 cases on the PM-JAY Transaction Management System as dual‑chamber pacemaker implantations while physical records showed Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing (LBBAP).
- An expert review of a 55‑case sample found 27 patients had normal left ventricular function and no clear medical need for LBBAP, a finding the State Health Agency used to reject multiple insurance claims.
- The State Anti‑Fraud Unit first flagged an unusual spike in LBBAP claims and conducted an unannounced inspection of GMC Anantnag in December 2025 before referring cases for specialist review.
- The inquiry also alleges procurement irregularities and direct patient payments, citing a beneficiary who said he paid ₹70,000 to a private firm despite entitlement to cashless PM-JAY care.
- Dr. Maqbool denies the allegations and some cardiologists defend LBBAP as clinically appropriate, leaving a technical dispute over indications, coding and coverage that could prompt wider audits and policy clarity for new pacing techniques.