Rahul Gandhi highlighted shortcomings in the ECHS, citing delays, lack of medicines and funding gaps affecting ex-servicemen. The government acknowledged payment delays but said efforts are ongoing to improve services and maintain healthcare support
-1775115694374_d.png "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi flags issues in ex-servicemen healthcare scheme, demands better system")
Rahul Gandhi flags gaps in ex-servicemen healthcare scheme. File Pic
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday highlighted concerns with the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), stressing the need for better support for armed forces personnel, reported the PTI.
He said that during a recent interaction with injured veterans at a ‘Jansansad’, several issues related to healthcare access were brought to his attention.
"They highlighted serious deficiencies within the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), such as delays in reimbursement, shortages of medicines, hospitals refusing treatment, or being dropped from the scheme due to the non-payment of outstanding dues," Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi.
Key issues in ECHS
Gandhi noted that over 72 lakh ex-servicemen and their families rely on ECHS for medical care. Despite its importance, he said the scheme continues to face multiple operational problems. These include delayed reimbursements, shortage of essential medicines, and instances where hospitals either deny treatment or are removed from the panel due to pending dues, according to the PTI.
He also criticised the government’s response in Parliament, stating that it failed to provide clear data on outstanding payments or reasons for delays. “The government possesses no information regarding the outstanding dues,” he said, reported PTI.
Funding and tax concerns
Referring to a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, Gandhi claimed that the scheme is not receiving adequate funding. He questioned why sufficient budgetary allocations have not been made for veterans’ healthcare.
He also raised concerns about provisions in the Finance Bill, saying that disability pensions could be taxed in certain cases if a soldier continues in service. According to him, such measures risk “penalising those soldiers who continue to serve the nation.” Gandhi stressed that the government must do more for ex-servicemen. "Our brave armed forces sacrifice everything for the country. The government should, at the very least, accord them the respect and support they truly deserve," he said in Lok Sabha.
Government’s response
In response, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said the ECHS offers cashless and capless healthcare through a wide network of polyclinics and empanelled hospitals, which has expanded in recent years.
Addressing the issue of delays, Seth explained that the processing of medical bills is a “dynamic and time taking process”. Bills generated towards the end of a financial year are often cleared in the next, leading to cyclical carry-forward liabilities. He added that growing expenditure and occasional fund flow constraints can affect payment timelines, but efforts are being made to ensure uninterrupted services as per PTI.
On disability pensions, the minister clarified that income tax is not being deducted in compliance with a Supreme Court order. He further explained that exemptions for disability pensions have been retained under the new Income Tax framework to continue earlier benefits.
(With PTI Inputs)
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