• India

file photo NEW DELHI: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit tabled in Parliament on Thursday flagged serious shortcomings in Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), pointing to inadequate hospital coverage, long-pending manpower shortages, delayed payments and infrastructure gaps that have affected healthcare access for retired defence personnel and their families.It reviewed the scheme’s performance between 2018-19 and 2022-23 and examined functioning of key implementing agencies, including department of ex-servicemen welfare, central organisation ECHS, regional centres, polyclinics and service hospitals.One of the most critical findings was uneven and insufficient geographical coverage of empanelled hospitals, forcing beneficiaries in several regions to travel long distances for specialised treatment. Defence ministry told auditors that it has since simplified empanelment norms and expanded the hospital network to partially address the imbalance.It also flagged chronic manpower shortages, noting categorisation of polyclinics has not been revised since the scheme’s launch in 2003, despite a steady rise in the number of ex-servicemen. Staffing levels at central organisation, regional centres and polyclinics have similarly remained unchanged. The ministry informed Parliament that 1,357 additional personnel were sanctioned in Nov 2024 for 23 new and 50 upgraded polyclinics.Shortfalls in medicines, equipment and ambulances were another concern. Auditors recorded instances of delayed medicine supply, outdated equipment, aging ambulances and weak functioning of mobile medical units. The report highlighted delays in payments to empanelled hospitals and reimbursement of beneficiaries’ claims, caused by inadequate allocation under MTRE. End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosHindu Lynching Sparks Outrage: Shashi Tharoor Warns On Mob Rule, Priyanka Blasts Modi Govt SilenceEx-PM Imran Khan And Bushra Bibi Jailed For 17 Years In Toshakhana Gift Jewellery Case’There Is Only One Modi’: Jaishankar Says Leaders Define Nations, Not Ministers Or IndividualsMore Complicated Than Ever: Jaishankar Flags US, China, Russia, Europe As India Faces Harder ChoicesPM Modi Says BJP Correcting Congress Mistakes As Assam Gets New Airport And Northeast PushKabul Chooses India For Medicines As Afghan Minister Admits Pakistan Ties Have Deteriorated BadlySonia Gandhi Criticises PM Modi Over VB-G RAM G Bill And MGNREGA Rollback’Maha Jungle Raj in Bengal, Mamata Shielding Infiltrators’: PM Modi Blasts TMC in Virtual RallyPiyush Goyal Says Congress Policies Suppressed Enterprise And Capped India’s Growth For Decades’Global Order Has Changed Forever, No Single Nation Can Dominate All Issues’: Says EAM Jaishankar123PhotostoriesTea Time Snack: How to make zero-sugar Banana Chocolate Oatmeal CookiesBharti Singh turned emotional as her water bag broke before delivery; shared, “Mujhe Bahot Darr Lag Raha Hai”8 Foods that can help manage blood sugar levels in Diabetes10 best destinations near Delhi/NCR to plan your last-minute New Year getawayFrom Sunil Grover to Rupali Ganguly: This is what your favorite TV actors did before getting limelightBlurred vision or eye strain? These signs mean you need an eye check-up12 food combinations that can slow down parents’ agingWinter Snack: How to make Dhokla in a pressure cooker8 Stoic life lessons from “Meditations” by Marcus AureliusNot just cold or cough: Doctor shares common triggers that can cause a sore throat123Hot PicksTom BradyEpstein files releasedTim SaunderGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays DecemberBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingJosh Allen Luxury Car CollectionRandi MahomesAuston MatthewsWho is Nicole LundersJeremy Doku and Shireen Doku Net WorthMatthew StaffordWalker Buehlers WifeSibley ScolesAssam Rajdani Express TragedyUS Strikes