Telangana Employees Health Scheme suffers birth pangs

The Employees Health Scheme, the ambitious scheme launched by the Telangana government, is reportedly suffering the proverbial birth pangs.

Private hospitals under the Telangana Network Hospitals Association are refusing to join the well-intentioned scheme, citing financial viability, while the website enabling employees to download their health cards is fraught with technical glitches.

The Employees Healthcare Trust is learnt to have temporarily shut down the website till Monday (July 20) due to technical issues. The decision follows complaints from employees that the cards are being generated based on the old data available with the government.

The Trust members informed employees who approached them that steps would be initiated to resolve the impasse, ensuring that cards are issued based on the new data. Employees were advised to download their health cards only after restoration of the website.

The network hospitals association, on its part, is seeking a revision of rates, as the revised CGHS package rates prescribed for the health scheme are lower than those of previous packages and could push them into financial losses. While expressing their concern over the financially unviable rates, the TANHA is also demanding that the government clear the pending dues under the old employees health scheme.

The scheme was launched on Friday (July 17) for government employees, retired personnel, and their family members, offering 1,816 medical and surgical packages that provide cashless treatment at 886 private hospitals and 114 government-run institutions. The scheme is aimed at benefiting 17.88 lakh people including 4.38 lakh employees and 3.61 lakh pensioners.