Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has received any complaints regarding inadequate facilities, shortage of staff and delay in providing healthcare services by CGHS dispensaries;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including Gujarat; and
(c) the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard?
(a) to (c): Government receives feedback from various sources including CGHS beneficiaries about various aspects of functioning of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and CGHS Wellness Centres, including Gujarat. These relate to inadequate facilities, shortage of staff, long queues and waiting period, interruptions in services of visiting Specialists, etc. Feedback so received is regularly monitored for taking appropriate corrective action and bringing improvement in the functioning of CGHS and CGHS Wellness Centres.
Government has taken a number of steps to improve the functioning of CGHS Wellness Centres, as under: -
I. Approved opening of 27 new Homeopathic and 26 Ayurvedic CGHS Units to provide better services to more CGHS beneficiaries.
II. To facilitate CGHS beneficiaries, SMS alerts service has been initiated for online appointment and dispensation of medicines at Wellness Centres.
III. Provision has been made for online registration to consult Medical officers at Wellness Centres to bring down the waiting period.
IV. Option has been provided to CGHS beneficiaries to avail Specialist consultation from CGHS empanelled hospitals after referral from CGHS Wellness Centre.
V. Process for procurement through GeM to strengthen the infrastructure at Wellness Centres.
VI. CGHS beneficiaries aged 75 years and above are permitted to consult Specialists at empanelled private hospitals without referral.
VII. Retired Doctors are engaged on contractual basis against vacant posts of regular Medical officers to ensure uninterrupted medical services to the beneficiaries.
VIII. Provision for tele-consultation with Specialists in selected specialties through e-Sanjeevani portal is in place.
IX. Staff selection commission has been requested for recruitment of para-medical staff under CGHS.