Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, Pune has over Rs. 1 crore dues pending
11 Dec, 2013
The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) under station headquarters, Pune, has pending dues worth Rs. 1.05 crore towards private hospitals empanelled to it. The scheme, financed by Government of India, entitles ex-servicemen pensioners and their dependents for treatment in service hospitals and also in those civil private hospitals, which are specifically empanelled with ECHS.
The reply to the application states that the ECHS has to pay Rs. 69.45 lakh to Jehangir Hospital, Rs. 22.10 lakh to Inlaks Budhrani Hospital and Rs. 7.61 lakh to Aditya Birla Hospital. The outstanding against Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and N M Wadia Institute of Cardiology Hospital are Rs. 4.10 lakh and Rs. 2.19 lakh respectively.
The RTI reply also stated that funds received by Pune Station Headquarters to implement ECHS have been continuously increasing. It received Rs. 7.22 crore in 2008, Rs. 8.38 crore in 2009 and Rs. 7.36 crore in 2010. The amount received during 2011 and 2012-13 were Rs. 9.83 crore and Rs. 12.35 crore, respectively. On the other hand, the number of patients treated under the scheme has remained almost constant. The reply showed that about 6.5 lakh patients have been treated at ECHS under Station HQ, Pune, till date from 2008 and the number hasn't fluctuated much over the years.