The Hindu : Changes put pensioners to hardship

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 25, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Changes put pensioners to hardship

By R. Sujatha

CHENNAI, JAN. 24. Pensioners covered by the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) are inconvenienced by changes that were supposed to benefit them.

Earlier, they had to wait for weeks, sometimes months, for reimbursement of medical bills. Now, they have to visit the CGHS office for the clearance of bills. Sometimes, officials ask them to return the next day citing insufficient funds. Of the nearly two-lakh beneficiaries coming under the scheme, pensioners form a sizable population.

A 75-year-old pensioner says, "I had to stand in queue for a whole day but was asked to come back the next day, as there was no money at the office to pay us. Of 138 people in the queue, 38 had to return the next day. On the second day, I waited in the queue from 9 a.m. and got money at 11 a.m."

Another pensioner says, "The chemist says his shop has been blacklisted and that the Government owes him Rs. 1 crore. He could not honour my bills. I was given a token at the office and asked to come back the following week."

The pensioners are irked by the wait and lack of seating facilities. "I live in Aynavaram. It is tiresome to make the trip to the centre, again and again. For more than a month I have not claimed my bills," complains a pensioner. "Some of us hang around or sit on the stairs leading to the office. The peons are rude to us and that is humiliating. People who are 80 years old are forced to stand in queue all day."

They suggest that the CGHS allot one day in a month for each dispensary and the beneficiaries collect the money at the dispensary.

The 14 CGHS dispensaries in the city have doctors but there are no specialists. Beneficiaries have to go to specialists in government-run hospitals for advice. Based on the specialist's recommendation, the beneficiary can seek treatment from super-speciality hospitals.

They are allowed to buy medicines not available with the dispensary from authorised chemists. When the chemist does not have the medicines, the beneficiary may purchase them from other shops. The arrangement with the chemist is that the beneficiaries must produce the bills and have them countersigned by the officers. Then, they take the bills to the chemists who pay the money. Until some months ago, the Government had authorised four chemists in the city to supply medicines. The services of these chemists have been terminated because of allegations that they sold medicines not conforming to prescribed standards.

For some months now, the beneficiaries have been asked to produce the carton and the medicine as proof of purchase with the bill.

Those in service can claim reimbursement through their department but pensioners must go to the CGHS office in Besant Nagar. The earlier arrangement was that pensioners could get the bills reimbursed through the chemist.

`Temporary arrangement'

E. Jayaraman, Additional Director of CGHS, says, "The arrangement is only temporary. All four chemists in Chennai who were supplying medicines have been terminated for improper supply."

He says things will change when new chemists are appointed. "I cannot talk about it as the matter is sub judice. We hope to appoint chemists for every dispensary."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Changes put pensioners to hardship

`Vasumathi Ramaswami, an inspiration for youth'

English teachers forum launch today

Leasing of slum board shops stayed

7 held for screening censored portions

Phone lines affected

Around The City

In Chennai Today