Mangaluru : The Suvarna Arogya Raksha Trust that administers Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme for the poor has suspended Indiana Hospital, Mangaluru, on the charge of misguiding the beneficiaries, from the scheme with effect from Monday till further orders.

An official release from the trust here said that the hospital was found to have flouted the agreement entered with the Trust, misguided beneficiaries and collected excess fee from them. The trust had received two complaints in this regard and on inquiry, the allegations were found to be true, the release said.

In the first instance, Mohammed Sharief, a BPL cardholder, was admitted to the hospital on August 22 with a heart ailment. Though he was eligible to be treated under the Arogyashree scheme, the hospital concealed the fact and misguided the patient who was in distress. Mr. Sharief was operated upon and was asked to pay Rs. 1.3 lakh, the release said.

When the relatives of Mr. Sharief demanded that the treatment should have been covered under the Arogyashree scheme, the hospital refused to accept their claim.

In another case, Hassainar from Belma village was admitted to the hospital on August 22. In this case also, the hospital made the patient to pay Rs. 25,000 extra though he was a beneficiary under the Arogyashree scheme, the release said. The trust took serious note of these incidents and took the decision to suspend the hospital from the scheme, the release added.