Our men in uniform are our pride. They are the ones who are keeping our country safe and deserve nothing less and happiness, success, and prosperity. But jut this is not enough, the Government must also handle these heroes with a much more caring hand than what they are today. They should improve upon the social welfare schemes for these heroes. Talking about social welfare schemes, let us talk about one such scheme- Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme.
Are you an ex-serviceman or the dependent of one in India? Are you aware of the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS)? If not, then you’re in the right place. In this guide, we will provide you with a friendly and easy-to-understand overview of ECHS and how you can avail its benefits.
What’s the scheme about?
First of all, let’s talk about what ECHS is. It is a healthcare program initiated by the Indian government to provide affordable medical facilities to retired defence personnel and their dependents. The program is designed to assist ex-servicemen and their families in maintaining good health and quality of life. To avail the benefits of ECHS, an ex-serviceman must fulfill some eligibility criteria. These include having retired from the Armed Forces, including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, completing a minimum of 5 years of service, being honorably discharged from service, receiving a pension from the Armed Forces, and registering for ECHS membership.
How to register under it?
The registration process for ECHS membership is straightforward. An ex-serviceman can obtain the ECHS application form from the nearest ECHS polyclinic or download it from the ECHS website. The form needs to be filled with all the required details, and the ex-serviceman must attach some documents, including a copy of the PPO, discharge book, PAN card or Aadhaar card, passport size photograph, and bank account details. Once the application is submitted, the ECHS authorities will verify the documents and approve the membership. The ex-serviceman will receive an ECHS smart card after the approval of the membership.
What are the pertinent scheme benefits?
Now, let’s talk about the benefits of ECHS. An ex-serviceman and their dependents can avail a range of medical facilities under ECHS. These include comprehensive medical facilities from ECHS polyclinics, empanelled hospitals, and diagnostic centers across India. ECHS provides cashless treatment to the ex-servicemen and their dependents in empanelled hospitals, free medicines from ECHS polyclinics, ambulance services in case of emergency, specialist consultation in empanelled hospitals, health camps to provide awareness about health-related issues, and teleconsultation services for consultation with specialists.
ECHS has empanelled hospitals across India to provide medical facilities to the ex-servicemen and their dependents. An ex-serviceman can avail of medical facilities in empanelled hospitals by producing their ECHS smart card.
ECHS is a great initiative by the Indian government to provide affordable medical facilities to retired defense personnel and their dependents. The registration process is simple, and the benefits of ECHS are comprehensive. So, if you’re an ex-serviceman or the dependent of one, be sure to register for ECHS membership and enjoy the benefits it provides.
