ECHS: Enabling Polyclinics

Meeting at ECHS HQ on 20 Aug 10
Dear Members,
1. An interaction meeting between users and ECHS mgt was held at ECHS HQ and attended by medical reps of the 3 HQ and others.
2. Following important decisions were taken:

Local Purchase for "A" and "B" type polyclinic is incresed from Rs50,000/ to Rs 2.00 Lacs per month.

For "C" and "D" type it is increased to Rs1 lac.

If a medicine is NA in a polyclinic then the ESM can buy the same from market and he will be reimbursed. There is no financial limit cap for this. This is over and indicated above.

Outsourcing the hospitals payments to an External Agency. The agency will pay all bills etc to the empanelled hospitials and would sort out it's own payement with the ECHS. Basically ensuring that the hospitials gets their money in time.

If the number of patients in a Polyclinic increase by 30 per day then an additional MO is automatically authorised for hiring.

Nominate chemists as distributors who will supply directly to the polyclinics and ECHS would pay these chemists. This will increase the medicines availability. No dependecy on our existing Armed Forces Medical Stores.
Pls see IESM latest NEWS on http://www.iesm.org . News Update every hour
These interaction meetings would be held every 2 months...
Regards,
Cdr Sharan Ahuja (Retd)
Member Core Group IESM (Offg Secy Gen IESM)

Veterans under IESM banner to return medals to Prez

The following report -- released by the United News of India news agency on August 21, 2010 -- is for your kind perusal.
With regards
Abhi

Bhopal, Aug 21 (UNI) Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement Chairman Lieutenant- General (Retd) Raj Kadyan, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, will lead a delegation to Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow to deposit medals and submit a memorandum signed in blood to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil in protest against the Centre not looking after its defence forces who have been "pillars of strength" for Indian democracy.
In a letter to the President, the veteran said, "it is earnestly hoped that the Supreme Commander would relent and receive the delegation in person. However, should that unfortunately not happen... the delegation would return without depositing the medals and the memorandum."
The recent judgements of the Supreme Court, high courts and Armed Forces tribunals clearly reveal the "grave injustice, apathetic attitude and arrogance of the Government and the bureaucracy," IESM Vice-Chairman Major-General (Retd) Satbir Singh, Sena Medal, said in a release.
The fact that the all- party Standing Committee on Defence – after taking into consideration the reasons given by the Centre for not accepting veterans’ main demand of One Rank One Pension– has strongly recommended grant of OROP to defence personnel holistically in its report tabled in Parliament on May 7, proves the genuineness of their demand, he added.
"Junior commissioned officers (naib subedars, subedars and subedar majors) who are gazetted officers are equated with non-gazetted civilians, their widows left out from the recent small enhancement of pensions of JCOs and Other Ranks, no enhancement in pension to the old reservists, superannuated disabled soldiers not being included in the policy of broad- banding for Disability and War injury, non-grant of third Assured Career Progression to the sepoy, ACP award of the 6th Central Pay Commission not being notionally applied while fixing pensions of pre-January 1, 2006 retirees, the Centre not implementing judgements, the list of grievances and injustice is never ending," Maj-Gen Singh lamented.
The collection of medals and signing of the memorandum will take place at Jantar Mantar from 1100 to 1400 hrs.
"We are also trying to muster ESM from other states for this rally that will be entirely peaceful and in keeping with the military ethos," said Brigadier (Retd) Chander S Kamboj, Vishisht Seva Medal.
"If each ESM was to say that his not joining the struggle will not affect the cause, there will be no struggle, and worse our children will be struggling for the same in 2025," said IESM Governing Body Member Maj-Gen (Retd) Pravesh Renjen.

Quantum jump for MsP: No accountability to the citizens they serve?

The government on Saturday assured agitating MPs that their concerns on salary hike would be addressed, NDA convenor Sharad Yadav said in the Lok Sabha, a day after several opposition parties conducted a 'mock' Parliament.

Yadav made the statement during Zero Hour, shortly after he along with RJD chief Lalu Prasad and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, BJP deputy leader Gopinath Munde and BSP leader Dara Singh Chauhan met Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee.

"The matter regarding the hike of salary of MPs has been resolved," Yadav said, apprising the House of the meeting. "The House will now function as per rules," he said.
Matter over salary hike resolved: Sharad Yadav tells LS

Dear Veterans,
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To night's 'Times Now' debate anchored by Arnab Goswami, covered the hot topic of MPs salary hike. For a change, all the participants were given adequate time to express themselves. It was heartening to see that both Gen Shankar Prasad & Capt Siddhu put across their points forcefully.

The crux of the problem, as Arnab put it, is not the Salary hike to the MsP, but the deprivation of the soldiers who are guarding the Nation day in and day out. They are the first one to be called in any calamity, the latest one being the Common Wealth Games. He, and the other two Veterans explained, as to how the Parliamentarians or the Law Makers, got together, cutting across the party lines, to forge an unity amongst themselves, to force the Cabinet to hike their salaries to a whopping 300 per cent, in just four days. Whereas, it has taken 10 years for the Armed Forces personnel to get a hike of just 38 percent.

When the OROP issue was considered, the Govt said that was not viable. This theory of viability is going to be further tested by the Law Makers with their demand of 500% hike. One wonders as to what Sekhar Gutpta has to say now, since he was the one to dub our Chiefs as Trade Unionists, when they refused to implement the Sixth Pay Commission Recmmendations.

Shankar Prasad pointed out that the Govt is planning to induct the Army to salvage the Games, free of cost. The Urban Minister, Jaipal Reddy, has indicated that even an allownce of 20,000/ - per month for the Officers & Rs 10,000/- per month for the other ranks may not be possible. Arnab pointed out that this amount is just a fraction of the 15 additional free air flights, now sanctioned to the MsP.

Capt Siddhu, was blunt in stating to Manu Singhvi, that it was his Govt which went for a review of the disability case which was settled by the Supreme court (Veterans will remember the 'Beggars' comment by the Court). Even after the Govt failed in its last atttempt to block the case, it never paid him, till he filed a Contempt of the Court pettition. In all it had taken him 30 years. But Manu Singhvi & other MsP could get all within four days.

Manu Singhvi conceded that he was not aware of all these cases & the OROP. But, Shankar Prasad pointed out that the entire Nation is aware of the OROP & the depositing of medals by the Veterans to the President, in protest. How a big wig from the Ruling Party can feign ignorence. Manu Singhvi, at least on the screen, assured that he is prepared to take up the cases of the Veterans in the Supreme Court against the Review Pettitions filed by the Govt.

"Sir, will you stick to your Words?" I request the Leaders of IESM to send a procession to his house or office to sanctify his promise.

I am deliberately omitting the presence of Rahul Bajaj in the show, since he did not have much to say but to support the cause of the MsP salary hike. But, he mentioned that the present salary of the MP, which is 16,000, is what he is paying his chauffer. So, in our country the lives of Soldiers are cheaper than the Chauffers. The minimum that the old Industrialist & ex MP could have done is to draw the attention of the Govt to this great disparity. But if he does that, he will be deprived of the use of his Private air craft, by the DGCA.

Arnab's pro Armed Forces stand was supported by facts & figures. He rightly pointed out to Singhvi & Bajaj, that the comparisson of the MsP to the salaries of the Army personnel is inescapble, since the IAS, IPS & the rest do the same. The MsP are demanding 500% hike only to overtake the Cabinet Secretary in the Salary structure.

I did not know Siddhu has sense of humour. He emphatically supported Singhvi & Bajaj & demanded that the salary of the MsP should be hiked to 700%, because of the unruly behaviour & shouting they indulge in the House, which may add to their expenditures.
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Veteran Raman
Col (Retd) TN Raman