Government urged to ensure effective implementation of Employees Health Scheme
A delegation of the JAC met Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand on Thursday and said the health cards given under the scheme were being honoured only for select illnesses in select hospitals, while the promised 'cashless treatment' was not being implemented. Despite monthly contributions which ran into crores of rupees, employees were forced to spend money from their pockets for major illnesses, they said. To meet their medical expenses, employees were forced to opt for private loans running into lakhs of rupees and falling into huge debt traps, they added.
JAC chairman Bopparaju Srinivasulu and secretary general P. Damodara Rao said the empaneled hospitals offered treatment only for the procedures that were financially beneficial to them and even after submitting the reimbursement claims, the employees were paid only a fraction of the claimed amounts.
The JAC leaders said issues like the network hospitals denying treatment to the employees due to accumulation of huge pending bills, absence of proper tariff-based billing system for recognised treatments and surgeries, lack of annual price escalation in line with consumer price index and outdated and unreviewed treatment packages needed to be addressed immediately.
The network hospitals association continues to issue warnings on its intention to stop the services on account of non-payment of the bills, leaving the employees in the lurch and defeating the purpose of cashless medical treatment under EHS, they said and pointed out that a steering committee meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary in August, 2023, and a management committee meeting held by the Medical Services Trust in March, 2024 had failed to yield any desired result. There is no transparency or information on whether the agreed resolution was implemented, they said, pointing out that hospitals had started refusing EHS cards, forcing a major chunk of the employees, especially pensioners, to borrow money at high interest rates for treatment.
They demanded immediate steps to ensure that all the network hospitals provide all types of free medical services under the EHS scheme, provision of annual health check-ups for employees, pensioners and their families, out-patient services for chronic diseases, free supply of generic medicines, streamlining of the medical reimbursement process, issue of smart health cards, revision of the health package rates and increase in the reimbursement ceiling for all medial procedures.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh admn imposes ESMA at PGI to prohibit strikes
The Chandigarh administration on Monday evening invoked the Haryana Essential Services Act, 1974, to thwart various employee unions from going on strike. The Punjab and Haryana high court has repeatedly stepped in and stayed the strike notices, remarking that pendency of any service dispute cannot become cause for an employee to abstain from work in a hospital, which is an essential service. (File) Issuing an order, UT chief secretary Rajeev Verma said the Act was being invoked to ensure proper services or maintaining supplies, public safety, health or sanitation and the maintenance of public order, necessary for the life of community at large. The order will remain in force for six months. The hospital administration and various employee unions have been at loggerheads over a host of issues, including arrears, salary and service conditions for years together now, resulting in frequent strike calls. The Punjab and Haryana high court has repeatedly stepped in and stayed the strike notices, remarking that pendency of any service dispute cannot become cause for an employee to abstain from work in a hospital, which is an essential service. Even on August 7, the high court restrained the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of PGIMER Contract Workers' Union from resorting to any strike, abstentions or protest in the future. Disposing of a clutch of petitions from PGIMER, filed against strike calls by employee unions given on different dates since 2024, the court also prohibited JAC from using the hospital premises for furthering the union activities except at designated places. 'By no means, the union activities will obstruct or hinder the uninterrupted movement of patients, their family members, doctors, visitors, etc. within PGIMER, Chandigarh,' the court said, adding that in case of breach of the order, the authorities will proceed to initiate the process of cancellation of their registration. '…it would be pertinent to observe that PGIMER, Chandigarh is a premier institute of national importance, which is catering to patients not only from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh but also from various states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, etc,' the court said while passing the order.
Hans India
16-07-2025
- Hans India
Health card has no use to employees, says JAC
Vijayawada: Leaders of AP JAC Amaravati expressed dissatisfaction that the Employees' Health Scheme (EHS), launched in 2013, has failed to deliver promised cashless, quality medical care to over 13 lakh government employees, pensioners, and their families in Andhra Pradesh. At the EHS Managing Committee meeting on Tuesday at the NTR Aarogyasri Trust Office in Mangalagiri, AP JAC chairman Bopparaju Venkateswarlu and general secretary Palisetti Damodar Rao pointed out that delayed reimbursements to network hospitals force employees to pay out-of-pocket, leading to debt. They noted that the government reimburses only 30 per cent of medical bills. Representing state government employees, the JAC leaders urged the government to ensure effective medical services under EHS. They called for quarterly EHS Managing Committee meetings at state and district levels to monitor progress and address grievances, online reimbursement for retired employees' medical bills to replace outdated offline processes, an increase in the medical reimbursement limit from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, free outpatient consultations and diagnostic tests at all network hospitals for EHS cardholders, special packages for the top 10 common medical procedures, and adoption of Ayushman Bharat standards for trauma and critical cases currently excluded from EHS packages. The CEO of NTR Aarogyasri Trust, who chaired the meeting, assured the leaders that he would address these issues and organize an EHS Steering Committee meeting under the Chief Secretary's guidance soon.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Time of India
UAE Health Ministry ends birth and death certification service: What you need to know
In a sweeping administrative change, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has officially ended its role in issuing birth and death certificates. These vital registration services are now handled by Emirates Health Services (EHS) in the northern emirates, while Dubai and Abu Dhabi continue under their respective local health authorities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The transition was made quietly, with MoHAP removing all related service options from its website and discontinuing its WhatsApp-based application system. Residents are now required to navigate a decentralised process based on their emirate of residence. What Has Changed? MoHAP has withdrawn from issuing birth and death certificates. Emirates Health Services (EHS) is now responsible in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah. Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Abu Dhabi's Department of Health (DoH) continue to manage services locally. (DHA) and Abu Dhabi's Department of Health (DoH) continue to manage services locally. Certificates issued by EHS, DHA, or DoH are fully equivalent to those formerly issued by MoHAP. BIRTH CERTIFICATES: How It Works Now Who Can Apply? Parents (of any nationality), legal guardians, or authorised delegates. Where to Apply? Via the EHS website (requires UAE Pass) Through the Mabrouk Ma Yak platform (for Emiratis only) At EHS public health centres or hospitals Documents Needed: Valid Emirates ID and passport for both parents Hospital-issued, certified birth notification Electronic civil record Marriage certificate or notarised parentage document For UAE citizens with births abroad: Return tickets ID and passports of both parents Attested marriage certificate For complex cases (e.g., prison births): Court-issued documents Letters from correctional facilities or social services Birth notifications Fees & Turnaround (Converted to INR) Birth Certificate in Arabic: AED 65 (~₹1,470) English Copy (optional): AED 65 (~₹1,470) Time to Issue: 1 working day DEATH CERTIFICATES: Procedure and Conditions Who Can Apply? Immediate family members or legally authorised persons. Where to Apply? Through the EHS online portal At a designated public health centre or hospital Documents Required: Emirates ID or passport of the deceased No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Ministry of Interior Official death report In suspicious or unknown-cause deaths: Forensic report Name consistency across all documents is mandatory International Use: Certificates must be attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the embassy of the relevant foreign country. Fees & Timelines (Converted to INR) Death Certificate in Arabic: AED 65 (~₹1,470) English Copy (optional): AED 65 (~₹1,470) Time to Issue: 5 minutes for e-certificates Physical copy available upon in-person visit Service Hours Monday to Thursday: 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM Friday: 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM Why the Change Matters The UAE is continuing its trend of devolving administrative authority to regional bodies, particularly for citizen services. Emirates Health Services already manages most public healthcare in the northern emirates, making it a natural successor to MoHAP in handling life-event documentation. The Bottom Line The next time you need a birth or death certificate in the UAE, MoHAP is no longer your go-to authority. Depending on where you live, you'll be interacting with EHS, DHA, or DoH—with new procedures, slightly altered fees, and a greater push toward digital verification. While the transition might be procedural, it signals a larger shift in how civil documentation is administered across the UAE—more digital, more localised, and firmly tied to regional health systems. (Exchange rate used: 1 AED = ₹22.60)
