Comprehensive medical facilities to Central Government employees, pensioners and their dependents

Comprehensive medical facilities

PARLIAMENT OF INDIA SREENEOST
RAJYA SABHA SECRETARIAT

Parliament House/Annexe,
New Delhi-110001
Website: rajyasabha.nic.in

No, RS. 7(14)/2007-Cont-II

November 25, 2021

To,

National Federation of Postal Employees,
[Kind attn: Shri R. N. Parashar, Secretary-General]
1st Floor, North Avenue,
Post Office Building.
New Delhi 100001

Sub: Petition praying for comprehensive medical facilities to Central Government employees, pensioners and their dependents – reg.

Sir,

I am directed to state that the Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha under the Chairmanship of Shri Prasanna Acharya, MP is presently deliberating upon a petition of Shri Saptarshi Deb, a resident of Kolkata and counter-signed by Sardar Balwinder Singh Bhunder, the then Member of Rajya Sabha, praying for comprehensive medical facilities to Central Government employees, pensioners and their dependents. The petition inter alia prays for upgradation and improvement in CGHS facilities and advocates for cashless treatment and emergency services be provided to the CGHS beneficiaries. A copy of the petition is enclosed for ready reference.

2. I am further to state that the Committee has already heard the preliminary views of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the working of the CGHS Scheme. However, in order have views us to whether the CGHS Scheme is working satisfactorily and difficulties, if any, being faced by the beneficiaries with regard to prayers made in the captioned petition, the Committee desires to have the views of the Serving Employees’ Associations working in this field to further deliberate in the matter.

3. I am, therefore, to request you to provide a comprehensive written note on the issues being faced by serving employees, especially in your respective city Stale with respect to CGHS facilities along with suggestions for the overall betterment of the Scheme for the employees, lo this Secretariat latest by the 15th December, 2021 for placing the same before the Committee for its consideration.

Yours faithfully,

(Anil Kumar Bhatia)
Under Secretary

To,

The Council of States
(Rajya Sabha)

The petition of Shri Saptarshi Deb, r/o- F.C. 71, Sec. III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, West Bengal

Sheweth,

The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) was started under the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1954 with the objective of providing comprehensive medical care facilities to Central Government employees, pensioners and their dependents residing in CGIIS covered cities. The Central Govt. Health Scheme 1s applicable to a large category of people residing in CGUS covered cities which primarily includes all Central Govt. Employees sitting and retired, Spouse, Pensioners drawing pension from Civil Estimates and their family members, Members and Ex-members of Parliament, Judges of the Supreme Court and High Court (sitting and retired), Freedom Fighters, Accredited Journalists. Ex-Governors and Ex-Vice-Presidents of India etc.

2. But, the existing system of working of CGHIS is not satisfactory. Reforms in CGHS have been discussed from time to time in Parliament, but nothing concrete has really emerged. Even after discussion of several years, no provision of cashless-card system for CGHS beneficiaries has been implemented. In case of emergency conditions of a patient, CGHS does not provide any relict and it is really confusing, as to how we deal this situation. the whole purpose of empanelment of a hospital or a clinic or a diagnostic centre is lost if it insists on payment in cash first before starting the admission process or treatment process.

2.1 Further, it is submitted that in some cases pensioners, who arc permanent beneficiaries, are being denied the facilities because the plastic cards are not being renewed, Discontinuance of CGHS facilities from empanelled Hospitals under CGHS is also a major Cause Of Concern for patients, It is also contended that there is a huge gap between in-position strength and sanctioned posts of doctors and supporting staff despite the contractual appointments of retired doctors is being made to fill up the vacancies. This aspect should be looked into on priority and the Ministry has to ensure engaging of private medical specialists on part time basis. Several Wellness Centres under CGHS are in dilapidated condition needs urgent renovation. There are no facilities of specialist treatment in Wellness Centres.

3. In this regard, the petitioner prays that:

2.1 Further, it is submitted that in some cases pensioners, who arc permanent beneficiaries, are being denied the facilities because the plastic cards are not being renewed, Discontinuance of CGHS facilities from empanelled Hospitals under CGHS is also a major Cause Of Concern for patients, It is also contended that there is a huge gap between in-position strength and sanctioned posts of doctors and supporting staff despite the contractual appointments of retired doctors is being made to fill up the vacancies. This aspect should be looked into on priority and the Ministry has to ensure engaging of private medical specialists on part time basis. Several Wellness Centres under CGHS are in dilapidated condition needs urgent renovation. There are no facilities of specialist treatment in Wellness Centres.

3. In this regard, the petitioner prays that:

1. There should be some provision for round the clock treatment of emergency conditions of a patient including availability of ambulance services In all CGHS Wellness Centres;
2. Establishment of separate CGIIS wings for all Government Hospitals and also to ensure that there should be one CGHS empanelled hospital in each district of the country;
3. Periodical scrutiny of the existing empanelled hospitals and diagnostic labs may be done to ensure compliance of quality parameters by them;
4. Efficient mechanism of quality assurance of the drugs supplied through CGHIS may be done and only good quality tested drugs are to be supplied to the CGHS beneficiaries;
5. Modalities for cashless-card system for CGHS beneficiaries may be explored. Similarly, the Department should devise a mechanism for early settlement or e-processing of the hospital bills. The Department should also come out with hassle free process of bill settlement of bills tor the patients;
6. The problem of chronic shortage of doctors is very much evident in CGHS as many pursue for higher studies after joining the service. Sanctioned posts of doctors and supporting staff should not be fulfilled on urgent basis even by the retired doctors/officials and Department must take certain initiatives to attract doctors and paramedical staffs to join CGHS;
7. Seeing the ever increasing cancer patients, more hospitals with cancer treatment facilities should be considered for empanelment. facilities of other kind of specialised treatment should be made available even on bi-weekly basis in all Wellness Centres; and
8. Establishment of a proper ‘grievance redressal’ system for effective functioning of CGHS.