The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : CGHS: beneficiaries find the going tough

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Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

CGHS: beneficiaries find the going tough

Doctors in CGHS hospitals do not treat patients with care and concern. Often they are found to be snapping at beneficiaries who come up with doubts over medicines or method of treatment. Their behaviour with pensioners is rough, impolite and appalling. The doctors make us feel as if we were beggars and not human beings . They are not realising the fact we are contributing roughly Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 9,000 per annum to CGHS scheme.

The CGHS doctors waste time by sitting idle at the CMO’s chambers. A group of doctors would be sipping tea leisurely, while patients would be waiting eternally for them in the wards. This sort of behaviour is uncalled-for at CGHS. There is nobody to regulate or control these doctors.

Most of the staff members including paramedics of CGHS dispensaries are very uncooperative with senior citizens. If we produce a prescription of the specialist, the prescribed medicines are not given at the dispensary. Instead some other substitute is given which immediately makes us suspect its efficacy. Something has to be done to improve the attitude of CGHS doctors, paramedics and staff at CGHS dispensaries.

Venkatesh Pimpley

Ramanthapur

Improve the system

My father was diagnosed as suffering from chronic renal failure Stage 5 in April last and required immediate medical attention. After a tedious process, he was referred to NIMS by the Alwal CGHS dispensary and was hospitalised for a month. The subsequent follow-up and regular supply of drugs required frequent visits to the dispensary and every visit was an ordeal in itself. The cumbersome procedures involved in evoking the scheme eventually left the patient and the family members mentally exhausted and frustrated. The end came sooner than expected and he breathed his last in September.

The spiralling cost of medical services has become unaffordable to those living on pension and that makes them largely dependent on such schemes. The Centre should now explore the possibility of merging various schemes providing medical cover and also open all its medical facilities to serving as well as retired employees irrespective of the organisations they are employed in. The twin cities boast of various Central government establishments under various Ministries with their own medical infrastructure. The Military Hospital and the ECHS poly clinic are aexamples which are adequately equipped and staffed to take on this task to some extent .The budgetary allocation for medical cover to the Central government employees should also be made under a single code head for judicious utilisation of funds. These initiatives if implemented would ensure optimum utilisation of medical resources and provide greater good for larger number of people.

Srinivasan Ramanathan

(Do you have any issues with the CGHS services? Email us your responses at hydlife@thehindu.co.in or post them to The City Editor, The Hindu, Begumpet, Hyderabad-16)

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