Centre Plans to revamp CGHS soon by Cdr PP Batra

From: premparkashbatra
To: Kamboj Chander ; TRUNCATED

Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2009 12:24 PM
Subject: News Item==More Revamp Of CGHS Soon By Center

19th/20th July 2009

INDIAN EXPRESS OF 17TH JULY 2009-PAGE 4

CENTRE PLANS TO REVAMP CGHS SOON
(The article published in Indian Express, mentioned above, is reproduced below this email)
Dear Sirs,
1. We are aware that Full Bench of Consumer Court Of India have elevated Medicrare to be part of Pension and other post retirement benefits. Still further Pension being deferred wages for services already rendered is a Right and not gratis under the Constitution. The Government is obliged to meet all expenses as authorised for Civil Hospitals including the difference between the CGHS rates and market rates.

2. I recall 1st MD/ECHS telling the audience at USI a few years back that IAS cannot countenance ECHS providing superior medical facilities than CGHS. The Senior Officers also wanted ECHS to be Army backed provider. CGHS has been already revamped majorly. Now as per news item reproduced below in full it would be seen that CGHS is gallopping ahead to even better provider than in the West and the other developed countries. Of course Health Insurance Sector also seems to nudging Government in this direction.

3. If one were to take what the ECHS professes that the Government is not favourably disposed to ECHS being made full scope health provider to Ex-Servicemen, then there seems to be gap between the two positions. Air Marshal Retired[Medical Services] who ushered in ECHS believed that the MOD if it accepted to services being provided as per the stated aim it would take 10 years to restructure but CGHS is already there in 5 years.

4. I would like to think that IESM which is tackling the anamolies of the 6th Pay Commission should also look into ECHS along with OROP! The question arises as to why DESA is permitting exploiation of Ex-servicemen particularly Cols and below and PBORs at ECHS Clinics and R&R Hospital. Why they should be saying this and that and be judgemental. If during 5 yearly review it was noticed that lot of undesiable things happening, then how come CGHS which had greater leaks is being revamped successfully. In fact ECHS Dispensaries in some areas provide Auyrvedic and Homeopathic treatment under the same roof in Delhi?

5. The Doctors and the Staff openly state that their first priority is to take care of serving personnel and rightly so. Till such times addtional infrastructure is in place, some temporary measure can be adopted. Digonistics can be done outside R&R. Medicines can be outsourced. R&R can function in multiple shifts like AIIMS. It can hire temporary Civil Professionals. Infact AIIMS biggest asset is number of PhDs undergoing training who not only assist the Professors majorly but also go down and man personally diagonistic centres and how knowledgable they are in getting down to the bottom of things. Because in the evening they have to face the whole department and collegues and no complaint of the patient is swept under the table.

6. It is sincerely hoped that all efforts would be made by those who can make a difference both on account of recommendations of 6th Pay commission and otherwise to benefit the Ex-Servciemen under the orignal objective of providing timely and comprehensive medical care would to all Ex-Servicemen.

With best regards,

Commander Prem P Batra
...
Indian Express
17 Jul 09
http://epaper.indianexpress.com/IE/IEH/2009/07/17/INDEX.SHTML
Centre Plans To Revamp CGHS Soon
Teena Thacker
New Delhi
Online reports, low-cost dialysis proposed
In a bid to make the Central Government Health Scheme more accessible to Central Government employees, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is ready with a slew of measures to revamp the scheme. The Government has not only proposed that sample collection services for various tests be available at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries but that reports may also be viewed online. "Hindustan Lever Limited will provide sample collection services. Along with their card numbers, the beneficiaries will be given a password which will help them in viewing their reports online sitting at home," said Dr S Bhattacharjee, Additional Director, CGHS.
The ministry has also recently got the nod from the Cabinet to empanel any state of-the-art hospitals located outside the cities covered by CGHS. "The Ministry is soon going to float another tender to empanel more hospitals.
The last tender was floated in 2006. There are no specialised hospitals for diseases like cancer, which will be taken care of this time even if they are outside the CGHS cities," Health Secretary, Naresh Dayal told The Indian Express.
The Government is also planning to do away with the time-consuming "referral letter" system where the patient is required to obtain a referral letter from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) before being able to avail of services at CGHS-empanelled hospitals.
The alarming rise in lifestyle diseases has prompted the Ministry into looking at introducing free prevention health check-ups for all the beneficiaries aged 40 years and above.

The dispensaries will also be equipped with dialysis units, ultrasound machines and Xray machines. "We are entering into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Apollo hospitals which will provide instruments for dialysis. The dialysis will be done at as low a rate as Rs 1500," added Dr Bhattacharjee.

Moreover, since CGHS dispensaries are currently restricted to 25 cities, the Government has begun work on a health insurance scheme for Central Government employees after the Sixth Pay Commission recommendation last year. While, the Union Health ministry says that it is practically not possible to provide CGHS dispensaries in other cities, keeping in view the shortage of infrastructure, it has decided to make available the option of health insurance for government employees in non-CGHS areas. About 12 private companies have already sent their Expressions of Interest for the scheme.
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