Inadequate geographical coverage of empanelled health care organisations: CAG on ECHS stakeholders audit

NEw new delhi, A public presentation scrutinise of stakeholders in government's Ex-servicemen Contributory wellness connive , by the CAG for the period 2018-19 to 2022-23, has found that there was "inadequate geographical coverage" of empanelled health care organisations , resulting in beneficiaries being compelled to travel considerable distances to avail referral treatment, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.The stakeholders audit included the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare, Adjutant General Branch, Central Organisation, ECHS, Regional Centres, polyclinics, Service Hospitals, Station Headquarters, and Principal Controllers of Defence Accounts, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said.ECHS has the objective of providing comprehensive, cashless and capless health care to all ex-servicemen and their dependents through a network of polyclinics for OPD patients; service hospitals, government hospitals and empanelled private HCOs, spread across the country for referred cases of specialised treatment and in-patient treatment.The scheme falls under the purview of the defence ministry.The report was laid on the table of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, it said in a statement.It is based on the performance audit of "major stakeholders" in implementation of the ECHS, and the period covered in the audit was 2018-19 to 2022-23, the CAG said.The audit body said, "There was inadequate geographical coverage of empanelled Health Care Organisations resulting in beneficiaries being compelled to travel considerable distances, to avail referral treatment."Also, within the regional centres, there were instances of skewed distribution of empanelled HCOs, it flagged.The corrective steps were taken by the ministry by simplifying the empanelment process of HCOs and expanding the HCO network, thereby addressing the skewed distribution to some extent, the statement said.Also, despite an increase in the number of ex-servicemen, categorisation of polyclinics which determine the size and manpower of polyclinics was "not revised since inception of Scheme in 2003," the statement said.Moreover, the authorisation of manpower at CO, ECHS and regional centres and medical or non-medical staff at polyclinics "remained stagnant" since its inception in 2003, it added.Besides, there were instances of short supply of medicines to polyclinics by service hospitals, deficiencies of equipment, operation of very old ambulances and problems in operating mobile medical units, the statement said.The ministry has replied that provision to procure medicines for six months rather than the previous provision of three months will improve the medicine delivery and a case for "replacement of 31 ambulances against Beyond Economic Repair / downgradation had been taken up," it said.Further, there were "persistent under-utilisation of capital budget" despite the availability of land at multiple locations to construct polyclinic’s buildings, the audit body added.CAG has also made a few recommendations to the ministry for overall smooth functioning of ECHS.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.