AFVOA Newletters of Year 2003

Page 96 of 170 date, with both the AGIS and its Air Force variant, AFGIS terminating, a person who being otherwise eligible, decides not to become a member of the ECHS, will be left without any medical cover under the ambit of the Armed Forces. 14. There will be an initial period wherein, after a member has made the requisite payment, the member would not have received his/her membership smart card and the system may still not have been operationalised. Any authorised treatment that a member may avail during this interim period will be paid for from the welfare funds of the three Services. During the interim when the prospective member is waiting for the receipt of the membership smart card (after having made the requisite payment), any treatment sought to be availed will be authorised based on the copy of the MRO held by the prospective member in proof of having made payment. Termination of AGIS and AFGIS 15. The AGIS MBS will come to an end on 31 March 2005. In the case of the Air Force, the AFGIS MIS will cease to exist even earlier, from 31 March 2004. As an when a pensioner from the Army or the Air Force becomes a member of the ECHS, he/she will have to intimate the AGIS or the AFGIS of the fact of his/her having become a member of the ECHS, whereupon the full payment made towards the medical cover under these schemes will be repaid to the concerned individual, irrespective of any medical benefits already obtained. In case the trustees of the AGIS or AFGIS receive no communication from members, a contribution refund cheque will be despatched upon final closure of the schemes on 31 March 2004/31 March 2005 to the last known address of the erstwhile member of the AGIS/AFGIS. Basic Infrastructure 16. The choice of the numbers and locations of military and non-military stations at which to establish ECHS polyclinics has been based on the population of ex Servicemen registered with the Sainik Boards (erstwhile District Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Boards), and the Ex Servicemen’s Directorates. Recognising that the flaw with this approach lies in the fact that very many Ex Servicemen pensioners do not register with the boards at all, the three Service Chiefs have constituted a body of officers and men working at CDA, which is tasked with going into the records to determine the correct numbers of pensioned ex Servicemen in each district of the country from a perusal of the retirement address in the PPOs. As soon as this information is available with Services HQ, the GOI will again be approached with a request to modify the authorised numbers/locations of the military and non-military location polyclinics. 17. Progressively, facilities in 104 Military Stations are in the process of being upgraded to cater to the requirements of the ex Servicemen population. At such locations, there should be no problems of locating a suitable site etc, or of erecting a suitable building. At the 123 non-military stations, action to be taken will include selecting a suitable plot, and erecting and commissioning a suitable building. In the interim, buildings may even be hired on lease. Staffing 18. Each ECHS polyclinic will be headed by a non-medical retired officer of the Army, Navy or Air Force. In addition, depending on the type of polyclinic (i.e., TYPE “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D”) there will be one or more specialists, such as physicians, surgeons, gynaecologists, dentists, and other Medical Officers. There will be Radiologists and other specialists as per assessed need. Medical technicians/paramedical staff and support staff such