A Chhattisgarh police constable who died during hospital treatment received an automated Ayushman Bharat message 42 days later congratulating him on his recovery and saying he was returning home. The incident left his family shocked who raised questions over patient-record updates. What Happened? Devnarayan Ram, 39, a police constable from Jashpur district, was admitted to Government Medical College Hospital in Ambikapur on June 26. He died during treatment on June 30. His family subsequently received his death certificate and performed his last rites. However, on August 6, his wife Seema Kujur received an automated message on her husband’s registered mobile number under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). The message said, “We are happy that you have recovered and are returning home,” and thanked him for using the free healthcare services under Ayushman Bharat. The portal showed June 26 as his admission date and August 6 as his discharge date, effectively keeping his hospital record active for 42 days after his death. Also read: Healthcare's Biggest Challenge Is Not Clinical, It's HumanFamily Seeks Probe For Kujur, who is herself a nurse at a government hospital, the message was particularly distressing. She said in a video message, “You can imagine what it means for a family to receive such a message for a person who has died. It causes immense pain.” She also questioned how the system could remain unaware of her husband’s death for 42 days. “I am a hospital employee, and even then, this happened to me. You can easily imagine what could happen to ordinary people, particularly poor and tribal families,” she said, demanding an inquiry. Also read: Making IVF Affordable: Experts Push For Insurance Cover, Public Funding & Better Access To Fertility Care In IndiaHospital's Response Hospital authorities have denied that Ram’s Ayushman card was used to claim treatment benefits for 42 days after his death According to the hospital, Ram was treated in the ICU from June 26 to June 30. Only ICU and blood-transfusion-related packages worth about ₹16,700 were blocked under Ayushman Bharat, and no additional package was blocked after his death. Dr Shailendra Gupta of the Surguja district health department said allegations that the card had been used for 42 days were “completely incorrect.” He said, “The amount was deducted only for the treatment provided during the patient's actual stay in the hospital. No additional amount was deducted." Hospital officials said the problem occurred because the Ayushman claim was not closed promptly due to human error. A data-entry operator allegedly delayed the process, and when the claim was finally closed on August 6, the system automatically generated the recovery and discharge message. The officials said that the operator has since been dismissed. Also read: 'Let's Fix Our Food': India Launches New Policy To Fight Childhood Obesity, Boost NutritionWhat Is Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY? Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is Centre’s government-funded health assurance scheme, launched in 2018. It provides health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation for eligible poor and vulnerable families. The scheme is designed to provide cashless and paperless treatment and protect families from major out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. After the incident raised questions about timely update of patient's records, the hospital has reportedly written to the state seeking safeguards so that automated messages relating to discharge, referral or death are sent only after the patient’s actual status is verified.