Pensioner-beneficiaries of the Central Government Health Scheme in the city regret that the scheme’s officials have not communicated to them important information regarding its benefits.
In its annual report for 2014-15, the Department of Health and Family Welfare’s states that a beneficiary who had taken treatment as an inpatient in a CGHS-empanelled private hospital will be provided medicines for a period of up to seven days from the day of discharge. But pensioners, the largest number of beneficiaries of the scheme, are unaware of it.
It came as a pleasant surprise to S.C.S. Murthi, vice-president of Ordnance Factory’s Allied Establishment Pensioners’ Welfare Association, Pattabhiram. “We have several unaddressed issues, but no official communication about this welcome move was made to us,” he said.
While the CGHS has opened special consultation facilities for all senior citizens in 20 allopathic and six AYUSH wellness centres in Delhi, a long-pending demand of Tamil Nadu’s pensioner-beneficiaries remains unanswered.
For several years now, beneficiaries attached to Avadi CGHS dispensary have been seeking land to build a polyclinic. The dispensary was provided during Anbumani Ramadoss’ tenure as Union Health Minister. The beneficiaries have approached the local MP and State BJP president Thamizhisai Soundararajan. Avadi CGHS caters to residents in areas such as Pattabhiram, Arakkonam and Red Hills.
Jaya Krishnamurthy, a committee member of the Anna Nagar wellness centre says it lacks essential facilities such as cleaning staff.
“When people come to the hospital and they vomit there is no one to clean it. We have written to pensioner’s association and the CGHS office. The officials have told us to appoint a person on daily wages but the supervision of such work will again fall on the doctor,” she says.
