In emergency, ECHS beneficiary can take treatment in any hospital

Ministry of Defence has assured in Parliament that in emergency, an ECHS beneficiary can take treatment in any hospital, empanelled or non-empanelled and for all facilities available in that hospital.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
DEPARTMENT OF EX-SERVICEMEN WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1433
TO BE ANSWERED ON 27th November, 2019
FACILITIES BY EMPANELLED HOSPITALS UNDER ECHS

SHRI UPENDRA SINGH RAWAT:
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken note of the fact that a large number of private general hospitals refusing medical treatment to the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) beneficiaries on the grounds that the desired medical speciality is not covered under ECHS, however, if the beneficiary is willing to pay general rates for treatment they are provided with medical treatment in those hospitals;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the corrective steps taken in this regard;

(c) whether the various private hospitals empanelled under ECHS do not list all the medical specialities they cater to the patients and list only those for which they are willing to cater to ECHS beneficiaries and if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken in this regard;

(d) whether the Government proposes to revise the relevant ECHS list of empanelled hospitals either by removing the column ‘empanelled for’ describing the speciality treatment catered to the beneficiaries or by ensuring that the said list of empanelled hospitals provide all the medical speciality to which the hospitals is catering to; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken/proposed to be taken in this regard?

A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE (SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)
IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
रक्षा राज्य मंत्री (श्री श्रीपाद नाईक)

(a) to (e): Hospitals are empanelled only for such facilities available in a Hospital, which after inspection by Quality Council of India/National Accreditation Board for Hospitals/National Accreditation Board for Laboratories are found to meet the required norms and are recommended for empanelment by Quality Council of India/National Accreditation Board for Hospitals/National Accreditation Board for Laboratories.

ECHS beneficiaries are referred to empanelled hospitals for treatment only in respect of such facilities for which they have been empanelled. However in emergency, an ECHS beneficiary can take treatment in any hospital, empanelled or non-empanelled and for all facilities available in that hospital. Hospitals are free to get their new/additional facilities empanelled with ECHS after inspection and recommendation by Quality Council of India/National Accreditation Board for Hospitals/National Accreditation Board for Laboratories.

Source : Loksabha