AIIMS-ECHS signs MoA for health services to ex-servicemen

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 19 (ANI): All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Ministry of Defence has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) for health services to ex-servicemen in AIIMS.
The agreement will ensure free-of-cost health services, including emergency care, for ex-servicemen and their family members.
It will be beneficial to more than 30,000 ex-servicemen and their family members.
Lt Gen. Padam Singh Shekhawat, General Officer Commanding, Madhya Bharat Area, expressed his happiness at empathising with AIIMS-R for ECHS.
"There are more than 9000 servicemen in Chhattisgarh and more than 21,000 dependents. With the empanelment of AIIMS-R, the ECHS has expanded its services for all 30,000 beneficiaries in Chhattisgarh. AIIMS is an institute of national importance equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities. Ex-servicemen will certainly get treatment with empathy in AIIMS from a dedicated medical fraternity. Now, there are 14 empaneled hospitals in Chhattisgarh," he said.
Lt Gen Ashok Jindal (Retd), Executive Director, said that the AIIMS fraternity is dedicated to providing health services to all in Chhattisgarh. MoA will ensure cashless and cap-less specialty treatment for ex-servicemen through ECHS. It will help reduce the patient load in army hospitals. AIIMS will ensure all facilities for ex-servicemen under ECHS through dedicated staff.
Brig Jitendra Singh, Deputy Managing Director, ECHS, said that the ECHS scheme started in April 2003 with 3.5 lakh beneficiaries in the country. Now it has more than 60 lakh beneficiaries with a Rs 10,000 crore reimbursement. Ex-servicemen, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, and NCC, are covered under the scheme.
"Ex-servicemen need more medical facilities after retirement. With the empanelment of AIIMS, we will certainly provide more options to ex-servicemen. There is empathy in the AIIMS fraternity. It will give personalised treatment to ex-servicemen," he said.
The programme was graced by Brig Aman Anand, Commander, Chhattisgarh and Odisha Sub Area, and Prof. Renu Rajguru, Medical Superintendent. It was attended by more than 350 servicemen, ex-servicemen, officers, and students of AIIMS. (ANI)