AFVOA Newletters of Year 2004

Page 54 of 153 59. Lt Col Gopalaratnam requested that provision may be made to spare him, a blind person, the necessity of going personally to the Polyclinic for treatment every time. To this Gen Girish responded that the scheme of the ECHS polyclinics was based on the premise that they would handle about approximately 85% of all possible cases. Hence perhaps only 15% of cases would need referral to the empanelled facilities. As it was, it was envisaged that the bulk of the expenses in running the ECHS would go towards payment to such empanelled facilities. Ultimately, as the patient profile at a particular polyclinic stabilized (with, as is logical, largely local patients), it would be the aim to have the “family doctor” kind of concept in practice, whereby patients such as Col Gopalaratnam would necessarily have developed a personal rapport with the medical staff at the polyclinic, obviating the need for personal visits each and every time. The misuse of the scheme under such a situation would be brought about by a system of checks and balances. 60. Col RI Subramanian suggested that it could be explored if the profits of canteens could be ploughed back in order to sustain the ECHS as a viable and successful financial and operational entity, more so in view of the rapidly greying population of ex-Servicemen, and the fact that ESMs contribute a goodly amount towards canteens making a profit. Gen Girish stated that although the suggestion was good, it could not be taken up, since purely government funding was envisaged for the ECHS. 61. In between his busy schedule for the evening after arrival at the Youth Hostel, Lt Gen Girish had found time to meet with Mrs Badrinarayanan, wife of Col R Badrinarayanan (Retd), an Armoured Corps officer, whose recent illness and hospitalization as a result of complications arising after a cardiac arrest had found a prominent place in the local newspapers, including the Hindu. He received a representation from the distraught but brave lady, and assured her in no uncertain terms that the ECHS and the Indian Army were with her and her family in this, their time of distress. Mrs Badrinarayanan had come away from her husband’s bedside at the Apollo Hospitals, in order to take a chance at being able to meet Gen Girish personalty, and she was not disappointed. 62. As Gen Girish had to board the 1900 hours flight to New Delhi, the same evening, in order to be present in time for extremely pressing work at Sena Bhavan the next morning, he took leave of the AFVOA at a little after 1845 hours, but not before the Patron presented to him, at the President’s request, a memento of the AFVOA to remind him of his visit to Chennai. 63. Thank you, Gen Girish! Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of the AFVOA 63. After the departure of Gen Girish, it was time to get on with the other business of the evening, which included the conduct of the AGM for the AFVOA. 64. AVM Krishnaswamy called the meeting to order and welcomed the members 65. Cdr SR Prasad, the Secretary, requested a minute’s silence in memory of those Armed Forces brethren who had passed away, since our last Meeting. 66. The Secretary then read out the Annual report for the past year. The report was adopted unanimously. A copy of the same is appended at the end of this Newsletter. The accounts of the Association for the first time was audited by one of the leading firm of Chartered Accountants of the City, M/s Bhaskar and Ramesh, and the audit had been