Retired soldiers and their dependent covered under the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) now have access to high quality healthcare in the city, with the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) opening their doors to them. An order issued in July by the Ministry of Defence included these hospitals in the list of ‘deemed to be empanelled’ hospitals, enabling ex-servicemen and their dependents holding valid ECHS cards to avail themselves of the treatment at these hospitals even without reference from an ECHS clinic. The expenditure incurred will be reimbursed by ECHS at the approved rates of these hospitals.
These hospitals, which were earlier empanelled with ECHS for cashless treatment, had not been re-empanelled on the completion of their term of empanelment in November 2015, citing pending bills to be paid by ECHS, high fees charged by these hospitals, and lack of clarity on the procedure to re-empanel government hospitals as reasons.
The decision had put the ECHS patients in a fix, as they were dependent on these hospitals for cancer care, cardiac issues, neurosurgery and vascular surgery, because similar facilities in other private empanelled hospitals offered lower quality services.
Many were forced to give up follow-up treatment or depend on expensive facilities available locally, without provision for reimbursement. As a consequence, ex-servicemen and their dependent in the area had stopped depending on ECHS for critical ailments, thus defeating the very purpose of the scheme.
