Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme – Some private hospitals have withdrawn their services from ECHS
Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme
There have been no specific complaints regarding misuse of funds. However, there are some complaints about lack of funds allocated to the ECHS.
The budget allocated at Budget Estimate stage was less than projected estimate and additional funds were allocated at Revised Estimate (RE) stage.
The shortfall of medicines is not directly related to lack of funds and it is attributed to procedure involved in procurement of medicines. Some private hospitals have withdrawn their services from ECHS due to various reasons including low rates, delay in clearance of bills etc.
The steps taken by the Government to improve health care under ECHS include sanction of additional manpower to ECHS polyclinics, revision of remuneration, bringing all 28 Regional Centres under online billing mode for timely processing and payment of medical bills of empanelled facilities, upgrading ECHS Card, empanelment of more medical facilities etc.
This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to Shri B.V. Naik in Lok Sabha today.