Good news for central government employees and pensioners! The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has received a proposal regarding relaxation of norms for opening up of new CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme) wellness centres.
The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers last month wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, urging a relaxation of rules for opening new CGHS wellness centres.
The letter highlighted the need for better healthcare services for the 16.3 lakh CGHS cardholders, which include 7.1 lakh serving employees and 9.2 lakh pensioners, totaling about 46 lakh beneficiaries.
The Confederation believes that expanding services to 200 cities across India, especially in the North East and rural areas, is crucial, the letter emphasised.
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Confederation calls for easing CGHS cardholder requirements to expand healthcare access
Currently, the requirements for establishing new CGHS dispensaries are strict. In existing CGHS cities, a minimum of 2,000 cardholders is needed to open a new wellness centre, while new cities require at least 6,000 cardholders. The Confederation argues that these criteria should be relaxed, allowing for more centres to be established in urban and rural areas.
It says that many existing centres suffer from a shortage of doctors and staff, particularly at extension counters. The Confederation recommends that these counters receive necessary staffing to improve service delivery, especially in cities with over 4,000 cardholders.
Confederation highlights need for consistent requirements and greater healthcare access in underserved areas
It also emphasized that even within current cities, the requirement of 6,000 cardholders for new wellness centres contradicts earlier directives that allowed for openings with only 2,000. The Confederation highlighted challenges in urban areas like Hyderabad and Bengaluru, where heavy traffic complicates access to healthcare.
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A recent report on the CGHS has also suggested expanding coverage in existing and new cities. It recommends allocating special funds to open new wellness centres and polyclinics to improve accessibility, noting that a significant concentration of existing centres is in the Delhi NCR region. Some regions, like Arunachal Pradesh and various Union Territories, lack any CGHS facilities, indicating an urgent need for equitable healthcare services across the country.