Letter No: SG/BPS/Rlymed/02/17 dt : 20.2.2017 from SC Maheshwari SG BPS to Suresh Prabhu Hon’ble Minister for Railways, GOI Rail Bhawan, New Delhi-01.
Sub: Deplorable condition of Medical Services in N. F. Railway.
Undersigned is pained to draw your kind attention to the prevailing deplorable condition of Medical Services in N.F. Railway causing a great frustration and grave concern among the Railway pensioners availing Railway Medical facilities under RELHS.
1. Existing Railway Hospitals:
(a) Except the Maligaon Central Hospital, all other hospitals viz at DBRT, LMG, BPB, NBQ, NJP, KIR & NTSK need immediate Structural Renovation of both Outdoor and Indoor of Operation Theatres, Maternity wards, Cabins, Kitchens, Toilets, Watering and Sanitary system;
(b) Doctors and Medical staff : These Hospitals are to serve a large number of patients, both serving and retired railwaymen and their family members. But, everywhere there is acute shortage of general physicians and specialists as well as trained medical staff;
(c) Dilapidated COTs with worn out and dirty beddings, blankets etc. are every day experience.
Hence, Bharat Pensioners Samaj demand that:
(i) All the above Railway Hospitals be thoroughly RENOVATED. Damaged wash basins, latrine pans, commodes be replaced and kept clean regularly;
(ii) Operation theatre, ICU, Eye clinics etc. to be provided with modern type of equipment;
(iii) BOS be updated, hospitals be provided with sufficient number of Regular Doctors and specialists (viz. concerning Diabetics, Orthopedics, ENT, Eye etc.);
(iv) All the Contractual Doctors be absorbed in Railway as permanent ones and given equal status as that of their regular Counterparts; and
(v) Bedsheets, blankets to be of good quality and usable.
2. Independent Health Units- (At MXN, MAL, COB, KGN, KNE etc.):- Most of the said Health Units isolately situated at long distances apart from Railway Hospitals are suffering from shortage of Doctors, Medical staff, Medicines and even inadequate Imprest Money.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj ( Federation of Pensioners Associations), therefore, demand that:-
(i) All the said Health Units be upgraded to have permanent physicians, housed nearest to the same.
(ii) Each Health Unit to have at least 2 beds for Emergency treatment.
(iii) Regular supply of Medicines to be ensured and Imprest Money to be increased judicially, keeping pace with the Market Ratesof medicines.
(iv) Every Health unit should have one Ambulance.
3. Supply of Medicines, Imprest Money and Local purchase:- The process of procurement of Medicines by the Central office and subsequent supply of the same, as per requisition, to the different Hospitals seems to be cumbersome and lengthy. Right medicines are not available at the right times. On the other hand it appear that hands of CMS are tied up with stringent restrictions.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj (Federation of Pensioners Associations) therefore , demand that:-
(a) There should be continuous flow of supply of Medicines from the Central Hospitals to the other Hospitals as per Requisition within the shortest period of time; and
(b) Power of local purchase to be relaxed. Amount of Imprest Money to be increased rationally to cope up with the local needs.
4. A full-fledged Hospital at Agartala:- We are happy to observe that the N. F. Railway has been extended to Agartala and then to Udaypur in the State of Tripura.
It is also known to all that hundreds of Railwaymen, after their retirement, have settled in different part the State. But, Railway Administration has not yet considered to provide Medical Assistance even to the serving Employees in these parts.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj , therefore, demand setting up of a full fledged Hospital at Agartala and Health Unit at Dharma Nagar.
5. Health Books to RELHS Card Holders: The CMS/NJP, vide his Notification dated 15-12-2016 asked the,“Retired Railway Beneficiaries” to furnish copies of some “Documents” such as PPO, RELHS Card, Pension Payment Slip from Bank, etc. with a view to issue separate “Health Books” to each eligible member. Similar Health Books are being issued in Eastern Railway and seemed to be very much helpful. Bharat Pensioners Samaj, request that, the above practices be regulated from the Head Quarters and the said Books issued to all the RELHS Card Holders of entire N. F. Railway.
6. Tie-up with Private Hospitals in case of Emergency:- As most of the existing Railway Hospitals do not have sufficient infrastructural facilities, specialist and Doctors have to face many problems in Emergent situations. To overcome this,TIE-UP with some nearby Private Hospitals of Repute may be done and this process be continued with minimum period of “Break”.
To keep off Monopolization and misuse of condition of Contract, “Tie-Up” should be made with more than one of such Private Hospitals.
7.Cashless Treatment Scheme In Emergency (CTSE): The Railway Board, vide their Letter No. 2014/H/28/1/Smart Card/Part’A’ Dated:14-07-2016, have circulated the said “Scheme” for Phase wise implementation.
It is claimed that, “the underlying Philosophy that the scheme is to give social security to the elderly group of people who had served Railways in their youth.” That the scheme will “Works Seamlessly on pan India basis” as “Additional”, without curtailing the existing facilities eligible for RELHS beneficiaries.
All these are very good gestures. But, to charge Additional FEES of Rs.50,000/-, 25,000/- or 10,000/- according to entitlement and Rs.10,000/-, 5000/- or 2000/- as instantaneous DEPOSIT to the empanelled Hospital at the time of conditional Admission, as well as, to pay a sum of Rs.200/- per members for CTSE Card, will not at all make the scheme attractive for RELHS Card- holders, who have already paid their one month’s emoluments or double of last basic Pension for the same.
Cashless to be cash free:
It is also most unfortunate that before circulation of the scheme, none of the Railway Pensioners’ Associations including “BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ” was consulted.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj, demand that the ex-parte decision on CTSE be reviewed and finalized after holding a thorough discussion with Bharat Pensioners’ Samaj and other sister organizations.
