Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Government of India
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
26-July, 2019
Poor Functioning of CGHS Dispensaries
Government receives feedback from
various sources including CGHS beneficiaries about various aspects of
functioning of Centre Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and CGHS Wellness
Centres including on issues concerning breakdown in connectivity,
shortage of staff, long queues and waiting period, interruptions in
services of visiting Specialists, etc. Feedback so received is regularly
monitored for taking appropriate corrective action and bringing
improvement in the functioning of CGHS and CGHS Wellness Centres.
Government have taken a number of steps to improve the functioning of CGHS Wellness Centres, as under: –
(i) During the last
one year, the network of CGHS Wellness Centres has been expanded from 33
CGHS covered cities to 70 CGHS covered cities by merging Postal
Dispensaries in CGHS.
(ii) Government has
approved opening of 27 new Homeopathic and 26 Ayurvedic CGHS Units to
provide better services to more eligible CGHS beneficiaries.
(iii) To facilitate
CGHS beneficiaries, SMS alerts service has been initiated for online
appointment and dispensation of medicines at Wellness Centres.
(iv) Provision has
been made for online registration to consult Medical officers at
Wellness Centres to bring down the waiting period.
(v) Option has been
provided to CGHS beneficiaries to avail Specialist consultation from
CGHS empanelled hospitals after referral from CGHS Wellness Centre.
(vi) CGHS has taken
steps to procure generic formulary medicines through HLL Life Care Ltd.,
as an interim measure, to augment the availability of medicines at CGHS
Wellness Centres. Additional Directors of CGHS have been authorized to
procure daily requirement of generic formulary medicines at Jana
Aushadhi rates through HLL Life Care Ltd.,
(vii) Process for procurement through GeM to strengthen the infrastructure at Wellness Centres.
(viii) CGHS beneficiaries aged 75 years and above are permitted to consult Specialists at empanelled private without referral.
(ix) The shortage of pharmacists has been brought down through fresh recruitment of Pharmacists.
(x) Retired Doctors
are engaged on contractual basis against vacant posts of regular Medical
officers to ensure uninterrupted medical services to the beneficiaries.
The Minister of State (Health and Family
Welfare), Sh Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated this in a written reply in
the Lok Sabha here today.
Source: PIB