Fraudulent practices: ECHS dis-empanels 7 hospitals

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 6

The Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) has dis-empanelled seven hospitals and diagnostic centres in Amritsar following instances of fraudulent practices by them.

Orders in this regard were issued by the Department of Ex-servicemen in the Ministry of Defence a few days ago.

Inflated billing and carrying out unwarranted medical procedures on patients are among wrongful activities that were being done by them, which was taken cognizance of by the ministry following complaints.

Launched in 2003, the ECHS provides cashless medical treatment to approximately 55 lakh beneficiaries, including veterans and their entitled dependents, through a network of ECHS polyclinics and empanelled medical facilities across the country.

Over the last several years, financial and administrative issues have beleaguered the scheme. Inadequate funds, shortage of doctors and para-medical staff, non-availability of certain prescription medicines and misappropriations in billing by some private hospitals were among problems that the ECHS had to battle.

Several measures were initiated to streamline the scheme’s functioning and sort out malpractices. This includes enhancing financial powers of ECHS functionaries at various levels, introducing third-party scrutiny and vetting of hospital bills and empanelling local chemists for supplying medicines.