Issue of Medicines to ECHS Beneficiaries on account of referral cases and Super Senior Citizens: ECHS

Issue of Medicines to ECHS Beneficiaries on account of referral cases and Super Senior Citizens: ECHS Order dtd 31.05.2024

Central Organisation ECHS
Integrated HQ of MoD (Army)
Adjutant General’s Branch
Thimayya Marg
Near Gopinath Circle
Delhi Cantt-110010

B/49762/AG/ECHS/2024

31 May 2024

All Regional Centres (ECHS)

ISSUE OF MEDICINES TO ECHS BENEFICIARIES ON ACCOUNT OF REFERRAL CASES AND SUPER SENIOR CITIZENS

1. Under existing ECHS guidelines beneficiaries including super senior citizens have to collect medicines from ECHS PC after prescription from emp hospital which is causing inconviences to veterans and their families. It is further compounded by holidays or closed day due to MSTB or non availability of medicines at ECHS PC which will be procured through Authorised Local Chemist (ALC) and given to patients. It is mandatory for ALCs to supply medicines within within 24 hrs if ALC is located within municipal limits in which concerned ECHS PC was located and within 72 hrs when ALC is located outside municipal limit. But many times they fail to adhere to given time line at various places owing to geographical or other constrains.

2. After considering various aspects of the subject matter and inputs from the environment it has been decided to allow self procurement of medicines for upto three days only under following circumstances :-

(a) If consultation is done at a private hosp (emergency or after referral) on a holiday/MSTB, beneficiary can purchase medicines for that day and if there are more than one consecutive holidays/MSTB following the day of consultation then indl can purchase for this gap maximum upto three days In case of delay beyond 48 hrs or 72 hrs in remote place by the ALC the veteran is allowed to buy the medicine from market and the cost will be deducted from the ALC vendor as per ALC policy followed in ECHS.

(b) For continued medicines for chronic diseases each provision under Para 2 (a) will not be applicable. Beneficiaries are requested to plan emp hosp visit accordingly.

(c) The responsibility of ascertaining genuineness of such procurement rests with OIC ECHS PC. Hence they have to endorse on each prescription “Genuine” and countersign it physically.

3. This has approval of MD ECHS.

(AC Nishil)
Col
Dir (Med)
For MD ECHS

Source: ECHS