(a) whether CGHS facility is available in all cities of the country for civilian pensioners;
(b) if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Union Government contemplate to provide CGHS facility in all cities of the country in view of the old age and deteriorating health of retired employees;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the details of steps taken/likely to be taken by the Union Government for looking after the health of retired employees in a better way?
MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR.C.P. THAKUR)
(a)to(e): A statement is laid on the table of the Lok Sabha.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 45 FOR 21.11.2001.
(a) No, Sir. CGHS medical facilities are presently available to civilian pensioners in 18 cities throughout India at Allahabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jabalpur, Lucknow, Chennai, Meerut, Nagpur, Patna, Pune, Kanpur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram. In addition to this, one dispensary each in the cities of Bhubaneshwar and Ranchi are functioning exclusively for the employees of AG`s Office who are meeting all the expenses for both the dispensaries.
The Government has also decided to extend CGHS facilities to the cities of Chandigarh, Bhopal and Shillong and have initiated action for opening of the CGHS dispensaries in these cities at an early date.
(b) Keeping in view constraints of resources and manpower, it will not be possible to extend CGHS coverage to all the cities in India.
(c)&(d): In view of the position given in (b) above, the questions do not arise.
(e) In the 18 CGHS covered cities, the CGHS pensioner beneficiaries can avail medical facilities which are on par to those available to serving beneficiaries of CGHS which includes dispensary level services including OPD and Specialist consultation, routine lab tests including blood tests, X-ray, etc. Further, the CGHS beneficiaries (both serving and pensioner) can avail in-patient treatment in Government hospitals. In addition to this, private hospitals/diagnostic centres have been recognised under CGHS in 17 CGHS covered cities to enable the CGHS beneficiaries take general purpose and specialised treatment apart from diagnostic procedures including lab investigations after following the prescribed procedure. In the private hospitals recognised recently under CGHS, Delhi, the pensioner beneficiaries of CGHS holding a valid permission letter or having being admitted in the specified types of emergency are allowed credit facilities so that the private hospitals recognised under CGHS raise the hospital bill directly with the CGHS.
The Department of Pensions & Pensioners` Welfare have issued orders that enables civilian pensioners living in non-CGHS areas to obtain Rs.100/- per month as medical allowance for OPD treatment.