Cashless treatment for ex-servicemen will resume soon in Goa, says Rajnath Singh

Panaji: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday assured chief minister Pramod Sawant that the long-pending medical bills under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) in Goa will be cleared immediately.

Singh also assured the CM that cashless treatment at Goa’s only ECHS-empanelled hospital will resume soon.Sawant and South Goa MP Capt (retd) Viriato Fernandes raised the issue with Singh on the sidelines of the commissioning of an Indian Coast Guard pollution control vessel at Vasco.

The United Veterans Association also submitted a representation through state govt.TOI on Monday carried a report about a widow’s cancer treatment being halted at Manipal Hospitals, Dona Paula, due to the delay in payments.The concerns were acknowledged by Singh, who assured Sawant that steps will be taken to ensure that cashless treatment resumed at Manipal Hospital.“A lot of payments at Manipal Hospital are due. We are continuously following up on this issue and even today, I spoke to the defence minister about this. He personally assured me that, as quickly as possible, the pending payment will be cleared so that treatment is not held up,” saidSawant.

He said that he would speak to the hospital. “I also made this request. I will call Manipal Hospitals and request them from my side, and tell them that the payments will be made as soon as possible. This is the assurance that the defence minister gave me,” said the CM.“The defence minister said that the funds were cleared and that the money will be immediately released,” said Fernandes. He also submitted his recommendations on ways to ensure that the ECHS funds to the private hospitals are not starved in the future.