ECHS: Present status and complaints

Membership as on date approximately nine lakhs with 27 lakhs beneficiaries. Approx 40% of eligible pensioners have become members.
Medical Treatment to ex-servicemen who have not joined ECHS. Veterans who have not joined the ECHS will continue to be treated in service hospitals subject to availability of beds and facilities. Veterans are not entitled to transfer/ referral from one service hospital to another and also treatment in empanelled hospitals.
Last Date for Veterans to Subscribe to the ECHS System was 31 Mar 2008. If you have not subscribed by then, you have lost your privilege of medical cover from the Armed Forces.
ECHS Newsletter

Teething Problems Galore
Posted: 2009-04-11 by G.K. EBRAHIM
Non-effectiveness.....
Sir,
Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme is seen non-effective for most of the members because of following reasons:
1. Referral by the concerned Poly Clinic is necessary. Those who are staying about 20 to 50 km away from registered Poly Clinic, will never travel so long to treat their illness; especially specilized medical services are available at their door steps.
2. With experience, the Poly Clinic(s) and/or even service hospitals are seen quite incompetant to treat even the minor illness properly and satisfactorily inview of today's highly sophiscated facilities and medicines available at every corner of our country. As such, people are quite hesitant to approach any polyclinics or service hospitals to get their illness treated.
3. The patients have the right to get treatment to his full satisfaction. They will look into ECHS only if their cases are immediately transferred to hospitals of their choice and not just service hospitals or any other facilities as per the will and wish of PolyClinics/ or as per the direction by ECHS rulings. Nobody will waste their time behind such an awful arrangement.
4. Ex-servicemen residing byond 5 or 10 Kms away from the registered Poly Clinics, must be allowed to attend directly at nearest empaneled hospitals without any referral by Poly Clinics or without any kind of indulgence by service hospitals.
5. Those who knows where they can get specialized treatment for their illness must be allowed to attend those hospitals without any consent by any Poly Clinics or Service Hospitals under the ECHS facility.
Until and unless, these problems are solved, ECHS facility is quite ineffective. Many Ex-Servicemen are seen ignoring this facility even though they are members of ECHS.

Posted: 2009-04-25 by Sunil Devendra Gondkar
Refusal of Medical Treatment at Mumbai Upnagar
I Ex-Sgt Sunil D. Gondkar is suffering from Diabetes Mallitus, Hypertension CAD and Osteo-Arthritis in both the knees, since last 10 years. I am undergoing mediacal attention at ECHS Mumbai – Upnagar naval Hospital, Powai.since 28.01.2008. However, as usual on 23.03.09, I approached the said hospital for monthly review. To my utter shock, Mr. S.P Dhyani LT. Commander (Retd.) Officer I/c Mumbai Upnagar Powai. He cited that INS Ashwini is my parent unit and I should approach INS Ashwini. I clarified to Mr. S.P. Dhyani that as I am residing in Thane as evident from the details of my Smart Card I am supposed to get treatment from ECHS Polyclinic Mumbai– Upnagar. But he bluntly refused to agree to render treatment.
Meanwhile, I Also approached Ashwini, where they clearly stated that since I am residing in Thane I am eligible for treatment at Mumbai- Upnagar till the time the incident of 23.03.09 as briefly above occurred.
The status as of now is, I am denied medical treatment and without medication I am experiencing serious problems related to my health. This trauma of uncerainity prevailing over my medical treatment is consistently bothering me. I fail to understand how can Mumbai-Upanagar stop rendering medical treatment given to me since 28.1.2008

Posted: 2009-03-02 by Jaaved
not functioning properly
sir,
im a son of ex service man living in Bareilly UP. here all the officials appointed by the government are not taking care of the people but they are adding up to their pains just because of the commision or whatever the reasons might be they are sending the patients to a hospital 15 km away out of city if a single test is to be done they refer to that hospital. there are many patients who do not live in bareilly. it is problem for them on top of it the operations that can be done in the mh bareilly they do not refer to mh doctors often specially when the patient need to admitted the bill of the private hospital has to be paid by the government than why not they can be treated in the mh. if this is what the government will do to the soldiers who have proudly worked for the nation and made it proud and after retirement in their days of rest when government need to serve it is not done. so why should they not restrict their children to join the defence. if any authority reading this please do something and save the soldiers pride and faith in the government or someone who could do anything just to save your soldiers
thanking you

Posted: 2009-02-17 by Shailesh Rai
Medicine Unavailability
Sir,
I am a retired defense personnel undergone kidney transplant and now I am a ECHS member drawing my transplant medicine from ECHS (Nerul) Navi Mumbai as the transplant medicines are costly, I have not been issued the same since last many months, as they are life saving medicine for me I had to procure same from civil which is difficult for me to afford, I just want to know why the medicines are not issued even when they are procured from regional centres. kindly help me out.

Posted: 2009-04-29 by Rajeshkumar Chauhan
required to be change process
"Sir,
My self Rajeshkumar Chauhan ECHS member,
Generally I observed that patients visiting the ECHC clinic face lot prob from ECHS clinic to further refer to MH, civil hosp & back to ECHS clinic.
My experience with ECHS Ahmedabad
Visited ECHS, checked and refer to MH for surgical SPL. Find Ambulance but not availabe as knew that under repair. I made local arrangement and reached MH. Checked Surgical Spl and advised to MRI. Again visited ECHS, made the necessary form and got signature. Further advised to go MH for Signature of Surgical Spl twice visited the MH & got signature. Same is to get medicine. As my request to concerned authority, is it possible for some changes in this process to avoid frequent visits. Moreover I expect that patient to be treated with sympathetic behaviour.
ECHS: Consumer Complaints