“In a significant achievement to strengthening the country’s health infrastructure and accessibility to CGHS services, there has been a threefold increase in the number of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Wellness Centres. The cities covered by CGHS Wellness Centres have has grown from 25 in 2014 to 75 now. This is in line with vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji to provide easily accessible healthcare services closer to the communities”. This was stated by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya while inaugurating a CGHS Wellness Centre in Silchar today virtually in the presence of Dr. Rajdeep Roy, MP (LS) and Shri Dipayan Chakraborty, MLA from Silchar, Assam.
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mandaviya reiterated the commitment of the Central Government to providing easily accessible quality healthcare services to the beneficiaries. He stated that the new CGHS centre at Silchar will provide healthcare services to serving and retired Central Government employees residing not only in Silchar but the neighboring districts of Karimganj and Hailakandi and the Barak Valley. He pointed out that despite Silchar being one of the major cities in Barak Valley, beneficiaries had to travel more than 180 km to avail of CGHS facilities from Aizawl or 208 km to Shillong. The new Wellness Centre would cater to the medical needs of several thousands of beneficiaries and would mitigate their hardships, as they will not be required to travel to such far away places now. The Wellness Centre will provide outpatient services including medicines, referral for investigations as well as indoor treatment at Government and EmpanelledHospitals. Cashless facilities for treatment will be provided in empanelled Hospitals.
Dr. Mandaviya added that “With the new CGHS Wellness Centre, Silchar is the third city in Assam after Guwahati and Dibrugarh to have CGHS facilities. The Wellness Centre is one of the 16 new CGHS centres being set up across thecountry in the Government’s endeavour to expand the coverage and improve the accessibility of CGHS services”. The Union Health Ministry is working on several fronts to improve the services being provided by CGHS to its beneficiaries. Grievance redressal by daily monitoring in mission mode, expediting bill reimbursements, expanding network of private hospital empanelment and other steps have led to quick reimbursements and a decrease in pendency of such cases, he highlighted.
Dr. Mandaviya also stated that Government of India has taken several steps to boost the health infrastructures in the country. Rs. 64,000 cr under PM-ABHIM (Prime Minister- Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission), Rs. 15,000 cr. under ECRP-I and Rs. 23,000 cr under ECRP-II have been approved for strengthening health infrastructure in the states.
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) was started in 1954 with the objective of providing comprehensive health care to Central Government employees and pensioners and their dependent family members. Currently more than 41 lakh beneficiaries in 75 cities are covered by this scheme.
Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, Shri Alok Saxena, Additional Secretary, MoHFW, Dr. Nikhilesh Chandra, Director CGHS along with Central Govt officials, CGHS beneficiaries were present at the event.