A family in Chhattisgarh was left shocked after an automated message from the Ayushman healthcare system declared a police constable “recovered” more than a month after his death.

Devnarayan Ram, a constable from Katangkhar village in Jashpur district, was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Ambikapur on June 26, 2026, after falling ill. He died during treatment on June 30, and the hospital subsequently issued his death certificate.

However, his wife, Seema Kujur, later received a message from the Ayushman Sarathi system stating that her husband had recovered and was returning home. The message reportedly recorded August 6 as the date of discharge.

The digital record therefore appeared to show Ram as hospitalised for approximately 42 days—from his admission on June 26 until the purported discharge on August 6—even though he had died five days after admission.

Wife Demands Investigation

Kujur, who works as a staff nurse at Jashpur District Hospital, questioned how the healthcare system could continue showing her husband as an admitted patient after his death.

She demanded an investigation to determine whether the incident resulted from a technical or administrative error or whether the deceased patient’s identity had been misused for an unauthorised claim.

Receiving a recovery message weeks after her husband’s funeral was also deeply distressing for the family, she said.

The family has sought action against anyone found responsible for the discrepancy. However, no evidence of fraudulent billing has been officially established so far.

Hospital Denies Extended Billing

R.C. Arya, the civil surgeon at Ambikapur Medical College Hospital, reportedly said that the message was generated automatically and had not been sent directly by the hospital.

According to the hospital official, Ram’s Ayushman card was blocked after his death on June 30 and charges were raised only for the five days during which he was actually treated in the intensive-care unit.

Arya said the matter would be referred to the department concerned in Raipur to determine why the system generated a recovery message containing an August 6 discharge date.

The hospital’s explanation suggests that the discrepancy may have occurred between its internal records and the automated Ayushman communication system. Confirmation from the state health agency or the Ayushman Bharat administration is still awaited.

Questions Over Digital Health Records

The episode has raised concerns about the accuracy of records maintained under public healthcare schemes. Such databases are used to process claims, monitor hospital admissions and communicate with beneficiaries.

Even if no excess payment was released in this case, an incorrect discharge status involving a deceased patient could point to weaknesses in data reconciliation among hospitals, state agencies and centralised digital platforms.

A formal audit would need to examine the admission and death records, treatment package, claim amount, card-blocking time and the origin of the automated message.

Until that inquiry is conducted, allegations of an organised scam remain unverified. The established discrepancy is that the patient died on June 30 while the automated message listed August 6 as his discharge date.