AFVOA Newletters of Year 2005

Page 42 of 75 provision of shelter, additional chairs, fans and air coolers to the existing accommodation. The GOC immediately agreed to provide all the above facilities and directed his Staff to get them completed on priority. The second part was regarding some of the points which needed the intervention of the MD, ECHS. The GOC had assured that all the points given would be discussed during his visit to Chennai. Having said this, the President requested the members to raise only general and not individual points. He thereafter requested the Patron to say a few words. 22. The Patron, Lt Gen C Sundara Rao, PVSM clarified that as per the Bye Laws of the AFVOA, the Executive Committee was required to have a two-year tenure. As the present Committee was doing a good job, they would continue for one more year. He also mentioned that it was good that the MD, ECHS had agreed to come and address the AFVOA members and that we should have a meaningful discussion with him 23. Lt Gen VK Dua had come to Chennai in connection with a conference of Regional Heads, SEMOs, Os i/c of Polyclinics and the Staff of HQ ATNK&K Area to discuss solutions for the administrative, medical and logistic problems pertaining to the functioning of the ECHS in the Southern States. He had gone on a visit to Tirupathi and returned in the evening for addressing the members of the AFVOA. Despite the tiring journey, he was very enthusiastic and comprehensive in his address The AFVOA had earlier forwarded important points for consideration during the conference. The address by the Managing Director, ECHS was therefore very timely and appropriate. He could sense the pulse of the audience and very aptly covered all the points pertaining to our queries in the text of his talk itself. This facilitated the audience to appreciate the problems faced by the management, the efforts being taken to resolve and the actions that are in the pipeline for achieving better results. The talk was comprehensive in explaining the financial constraints, the bureaucratic hurdles and the necessity of cooperation from the members that are essentially required to ensure the success of the Scheme. The Government has categorically ruled that the services of the empanelled hospitals would be resorted to by the ECHS only after exhausting all the resources available in the Service hospitals. In an emergency however, the ECHS may refer the patients to the empanelled hospitals directly, which would be more of an exception than a rule. Every such referral will have to be substantiated for obtaining sanction. This has imposed caution in the minds of Os i/c and doctors in the Polyclinics. 24. Another point which was clarified pertains to the prescription of medicines The Managing Director stated that with the advancement in Pharmacology the manufacturing companies are having their own race in promoting the brand names of medicines although the generic names/their composition are generally the same. The Government’s view with regard to the provision of medicines in the ECHS outlets has been indicated. The medicines obtained by the Armed Forces through AFMSDs undergo a very exhaustive procedure. He also clarified that the individual requirements of a particular medicine bearing a brand name for treatment may not therefore be acceptable universally at the Polyclinic. The generic composition of medicines is taken note of and the equivalent PVMS items stocked in the Polyclinics will be issued. However, when a member/dependant undergoes treatment in an empanelled hospital for a specific ailment and is administered the medicines during a procedure and are issued medicines to continue the same for a limited period, then the ECHS will settle the payment to the hospital directly. For subsequent reviews the member/dependant may be issued an equivalent PVMS/NIV item from the Polyclinic. 25. As regards enhancement of facilities in Polyclinics by providing them with their authorized equipment, it was confirmed that the progress is very satisfactory and the existing deficiencies will be made up. The efforts to empanel additional hospitals based on zonal concept for facilitating members are also in hand. In this regard he commended the efforts