CGHS beneficiaries to get free treatment at private hospitals

The beneficiaries of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) can now walk into at least six private hospitals in the Millennium City for any kind of treatment without paying any charges. Earlier, only tertiary treatment was allowed at private facilities under the scheme.

The beneficiaries of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) can now walk into at least six private hospitals in the Millennium City for any kind of treatment without paying any charges. Earlier, only tertiary treatment was allowed at private facilities under the scheme.

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According to a notification issued recently by the Union health ministry, a total of six hospitals in Gurgaon will be providing general purpose facilities to the city’s 70, 000 beneficiaries.

These hospitals include Medanta - The Medicity, Artemis Health Sciences, Kalyani Hospital, Paras Hospital, Umkal Hospital and Park Hospital.

The listed hospitals have already started providing services related to nephrology, gastroenterology and gastro intestinal (GI) surgery, neurosurgery, paediatrics, urology, ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat), dental, eye and cancer and diagnostics.

“Now, a beneficiary can just walk into any of these hospitals and get treated for anything without paying anything. All the cost will be borne by CGHS. It is only for planned procedures that the patient has to get an approval from the chief medical officer of the CGHS dispensary,” said Dr Manoj Jain, senior chief medical officer in the health ministry.

“Earlier, we didn’t have any hospital to go to in case of emergencies and for general medication. We were forced to either go to a government hospital, where facilities were poor, or a private hospital which charged exorbitantly. But, now we can avail any facility free of cost,” said SN Gupta, president, CGHS Beneficiaries Welfare Association, Gurgaon (CGHS BWA).