PROGRESS ON ECHS CONFERENCE HELD AT AG'S BRANCH ON 27 DEC 2010

POINTS OF LAST INTERACTION

• Priority Cards for Disabled Veterans.  To facilitate the disabled ECHS beneficiaries, a special 32 KB ECHS White Card are being issued.  This card allows disabled AFVs to earn their due recognition in ECHS environment.  ‘PRIORITY’ is printed on the card for all polyclinics to ensure faster treatment and medicine issue to our disabled veterans.
• ~Augumentation of staff at Polyclinics.  The present manpower in ECHS Polyclinics is pegged to Gol letter dated 30 Dec 2002.  In the light of experience of eight yrs or so coupled with sick report of 95 lakhs per annum approximately , a case was taken up to augment the ECHS manpower which will result in delivering of quality medical care to  AFV at ECHS Polyclinics.  The proposed manpower will bring in additional Medical Officers, Specialists, Medical and Paramedical Staff.  The deficiency of categories like Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, X-Ray technicians, Clerks etc would be made up.  Draft Cabinet Note (DCN) has been fwd to MoD on 19 May 2011.
• Increase budget for LP of Medicines.

A case was taken up with Govt but not accepted as financial powers can not be delegated to a contractual employee.

·        Streamlining of Hospital Empanelement Procedure.  The Govt vide letter No. 22B(04)/2010/US(WE)/D (Res) dated 18 Feb 11 has modified the process/procedure for empanelment of hospitals for ECHS.  The new procedure stipulates that assessment of hospitals/health care facilities & labs for empanelment would be undertaken by NABH (National Accreditation Board for Health Providers) NABH is a constituent of Quality Council of India (QCI) for monitoring the quality of health care establishments in the country.  The new procedure is expected to cut down the time taken for empanelment drastically.

·        Temporary Attachment Certificate.  Provision of TAC was initiated to facilitate provisioning and issue of drug/medicines and consumables by a polyclinic to outstation ECHS beneficiaries.  Patients relocating to a new station on temporary basis were given TAC for facilitating issue of medicines for a prescribed duration.  Consequent to feedback from the environment, the entire procedure of TAC was examined.  It was decided to abolish the procedure of temporary attachments.  Hereafter, ECHS beneficiaries may receive treatment/referral from any ECHS polyclinic on production of ECHS Smart Card.

INTERACTION WITH ARMED FORCES VETERANS(AFV) REPRESENTATIVES; ECHS

A Conference was held at AG's Branch, South Block New Delhi on 05 July 2011 Chaired by the Adjutant General.  Various representatives of the AFV attended the conference.  The IESL was represented by Sr. Vice President, Col N L Verma and General Secretary , Col Sukhbir Singh.