By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh Tuesday inaugurated a polyclinic for ex-servicemen in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of the national capital, that will provide quality services to nearly 22,000 former defence personnel and their families.
The polyclinic, constructed at the military station in Dundahera, was built at a cost of Rs.49.07 lakh. “It will provide quality OPD services to 22,000 ECHS (Ex-servicemen’s Contributory Health Scheme) beneficiaries,” an army spokesperson said.
On May 26, in a major effort to boost the quality of medicare provided to India’s 34 lakh ex-servicemen and their dependents, the cabinet approved the creation of 199 additional polyclinics at a cost of Rs.141 crore ($30 million), to take their total number to 426.
As part of this, another polyclinic will be established at Gurgaon’s Sohna Road, one the eight more coming up in the National Capital Region, which presently has six such clinics.
The ECHS was started in April 2003 to meet the long-standing demand of the armed forces veterans for comprehensive medical cover.
Nearly 11 lakh ex-servicemen have joined the scheme, and together with their dependents, the beneficiary base of the scheme has crossed 34 lakh.
A total of 1,355 hospitals and diagnostic centres are empanelled in the country for providing cashless treatment to the ECHS beneficiaries.