LUCKNOW, Oct. 8 -- Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak on Wednesday said the rights of poor and needy patients were paramount and hospitals performing well were partners of the government, but there was no room for irregularities under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Addressing an 'Ayushman Samvad' programme marking eight years of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), Pathak said the scheme would be strengthened through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, a network of quality hospitals, improved grievance redressal, stronger audits and data-based monitoring. He said action, including suspension, de-empanelment, financial penalties and recovery of funds, was being taken against hospitals violating rules or found involved in suspicious claims and irregularities. Pathak said the Uttar Pradesh government aimed to extend Ayushman benefits to every eligible family while ensuring quality treatment through better hospital standards, fire safety, availability of doctors and digital health records. Data analytics, field audits and technology-based monitoring had also been strengthened to improve transparency. Balrampur Hospital, Lucknow, was awarded for outstanding utilisation of pre-authorisation and claim incentives under PMJAY. Director Dr BKS Chauhan and chief medical superintendent Dr Himanshu Chaturvedi received the award. Pathak also urged eligible beneficiaries without Ayushman cards to get themselves enrolled. Also, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS), Lucknow, has been honoured by the State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services (SACHIS), Uttar Pradesh, for its implementation of the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).htc...