Ex-servicemen body demands ECHS zonal hospitals in state

Mandi, November 5

Ex-servicemen (ESM) body has urged the Director of the Sainik Welfare department, Hamirpur, to open two zonal super-speciality hospitals of ECHS in the state.

Have to travel long distances

Due to the non-availability of such hospitals in Himachal, the ex-servicemen and their dependents have to travel long distances in order to receive treatment at the empanelled ECHS hospitals in Punjab and Chandigarh. Captain Jagdish Verma (Retd), Chairman of the body

Captain Jagdish Verma (Retd), Chairman of the United Front of Ex-servicemen body, said, over 1,60,000 ESM and their families are adversely affected due to the apathy of the state Sainik Welfare Department for not taking action on several issues concerning them.

“Many governments and similarly several Directors of the department assumed office, but did nothing for the welfare of the ESM and their families. The facilities are not at par with the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh” Verma added.

“Due to the non-availability of such hospitals in Himachal, the ex-servicemen and their dependents have to travel long distances in order to receive treatment at the empanelled ECHS hospitals in Punjab and Chandigarh,” he remarked.

“It becomes cumbersome for the veterans to travel at this age. So, we have been demanding that 12 districts of the state should be divided into two zones and two ECHS zonal hospitals equipped with super-specialty facility to cater the medical needs of the ESM should be opened in the state,” he said.

Verma said, “Most of the ex-servicemen belong to Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur and Bilaspur. In order to provide them legal facility, the demand would be genuine if a case is taken with the Ministry of Defence by the authorities concerned with a request that the Circuit Bench of Armed Forces Tribunal Regional Bench of Chandigarh to visit Hamirpur on the same analogy as prevailing for Srinagar, Jammu and Shimla. This would invariably facilitate the ESM to avail legal facility in the centre place of the state and they need not to travel to Shimla and Chandigarh for cases, if any, pertaining to their pension, disability pension or any other legal issue.”

We wrote a letter to the Director of the Sainik Welfare Department, Hamirpur, in this regard and urged him to do the needful for the purpose, he added.