An ex-serviceman got a rude shock yesterday when he was asked to pay for the medical expenses of his wife admitted to Jehangir Hospital. All ex-servicemen and their dependants are entitled to free medical treatment at designated hospitals — Jehangir Hospital is one of these — under the Ex-servicemen’s Contribution Health Scheme (ECHS).

When 43-year-old Binod Kumar Ojha, a former petty officer with the Indian Navy, took up the matter with the hospital officials, they claimed that the ECHS had not cleared the hospital dues amounting to Rs 5.5 crore, forcing them to withdraw the cashless service.