ECHS is a polyclinic and just basic medical /Gynic & Dental OPD facilities are only available. To get any sort of specialised treatement you need to approach military hospitals or empannelled hospital after getting referred from ECHS polyclinic. But it has been found that most of the renowned multispecility hospitals / Diagnostics Centres are not empannelled with ECHS at most cities.
Whatever problem is arising due to the lack of an empaneled hospital in your area and non-payment of the bill to the empaneled hospital, responsibilities are not taken by the OICs as they feel that these are due to the fault of the regional center. OIC Poly Clinic is not responsible for the payment or any such administrative issues with the empanelled hospitals.
The regional center is headed by a serving Colonel from the non-medical branch. ECHS is the only medical service provider headed by non-medical or medical officers at the polyclinic, regional, and central levels, which you will not find any such similar org anywhere else.
Feedback has been recceived from the beneficiaries that the OIC has been granted unlimited powers, including initiation of termination of membership of those who complain against him/her. In all three defense services, SMO, PMO, DGMS and DGAFMS are from the medical branch only.
Veterans expressed thrir views in the social media that, If the OICs are from the medical branch, then wastage of ECHS funds can be prevented, along with administrative work, they will also be able to treat patients. Due to which each polyclinic will save Rs 75000 of ECHS fund. Which can be spent on other beneficial facilities and payment of empaneled hospital bills.
It has also been seems by some veternas that “As SMOs of MI Rooms/SMCs and Commanding Officers of service hospitals are also involved in care of paitient and regularly treated patients also.”
An illustation of Regional Centre Chennai has been circulated by a veterans group as mentioned below :-
A total of 15 number of ECHS Polyclinics under the Regional Center ECHS Chennai.
75000X 15= Rs. ₹1125,000 (wastage per month)
Annual wastage of ECHS Fund: 1125000 X 12= Rs. 13,500,000
wastage total Rs. 1 crore 35 lakh per year of ECHS fund.
This fund can be used to pay outstanding bills of empaneled hospitals and other ECHS facilities.
Like every year, this year too in the name of the crisis of the fund, crying will start after the next few months. You will receive articles and messages from many people in this regard. But no one can see how crores of funds are being wasted.”
The veterans also expressed that ” We should think about our Nation and how to stop the wastage of taxpayers’ hard-earned money. Where people still do not get two times meals a day. The Central Government is trying to compensate for this through its various schemes, under which free food grains are being distributed among our needy countrymen.
There are a total of about *450* ECHS polyclinics in Bharat and outside Bharat.
*450 X 75000 = 33,750,000 (per month wastage of ECHS fund)*
*33750000 X 12 = Rs. 405,000,000 (wastage per annum)*
*Total wastage of ECHS fund approx Rs. 41 crores per annum*
In this way, approx Rs 820 crore ECHS funds have been wasted so far.”
The above illustrations has not been verified from the ECHS authority by the punblisher of this article. However, the ECHS authority may consider the facts as being circulated in the leading social media and after constituting a committee, may take initiative accordingly to reform the staffing norms of the Polyclinics.
