All ECHS Beneficiaries Must Have Upgraded Cards

[Veterans India]

ECHS beneficiaries who are in possession of the old card should get
their cards upgraded. The upgraded card is usable Pan-India.

The documents required are

- Form for upgrading the card, which can be downloaded from ECHS
website
Or obtained from the Regional Centers/ Central Org/ Polyclinics.
- Two passport size photographs of each beneficiary.
- Demand draft at the rate of Rs 135/- per card, drawn in favor of the
Regional Centre under which the Polyclinic on which the ECHS
beneficiary is dependent, functions.
- Photocopy of the old card.
These applications are forwarded by the Regional Centre to the Agency
that manufactures the Cards after verification. The manufacturing
process normally takes a couple of months. The cards are dispatched by
the firm back to the Regional Centre for handing over to the
beneficiary concerned.

In case, any ESM who is entitled to become an ECHS beneficiary, has
not applied for a card, the ESM needs to fill up the relevant Forms,
deposit the contribution applicable as per his Grade Pay at the time
of retirement, attach a copy of the PPO and submit the Form to the
Station HQ/ Regional Centre concerned for further processing. Since
these applications go to the Record Offices concerned for
verification, it takes a little longer than upgrading an old card.
However, the receipt of having submitted the application acts as an
authority for availing treatment in the interim.

Please Share so that the message reaches all Veterans from all the
three Services. Thanks,

[Padmanabhan R]

[Attachment(s) from Rakesh Prasad Chaturvedi included below]

On joining ECHS we were all given ECHS cards. While this worked well, and even as we were just getting used to this 'Patient Management System' (PMS), came around news, some years ago, that a NEW card was being introduced. Marketed extensively for its benefits- being an All India Card being one reason (but so was the OLD card, an All India Card, and more so, it was a Health, Canteen and Identity Card !! So what was new?), we were advised to deposit Rs 135 per head, fill up forms and deposit with the Region Hq of ECHS. There were queries galore, from a community of elders, just beginning to get exposed to the Automation.

When the issue was broached in depth it was clarified by ECHS that the New Card was not mandatory, and the old one was just as good, for the time being. It was dependent on Software upgrades and unless that happened to ALL Polyclinics Pan India, it would not matter much. IT was actually the software upgrade, we learnt, and not the Card, that now allowed us to use the cards- Old AND New, Pan India. So, many Veterans, including me, have not yet converted. 

Aside from a Far superior Color Mugshot of the user (essential or cosmetic?), the NEW card is supposed to offer some enhanced facilities. These and some associated issues are discussed below.

1. The details of treatment and medicines prescribed are SUPPOSED to go onto the card. Sad fact is, it does not. Even in Polyclinics that have the software upgraded. Purportedly this is because of most modules on the card being inoperative  and secondly since training of staff is apparently lacking. Then what does it achieve? 
2. There is no erasing of old entries. So, even if treatment could be recorded on it, say 50 entries, then after the 51st entry it would stop. Benefits? 
3. Surprisingly the card, despite whatever value additions (?) does not carry a record of Allergies. There has been a recent case of a Veteran allergic to Penicillin being injected with it. Fortunately without dire results, as he happened to be in the Polyclinic when reaction happened. Should such a Warning not be made to FLASH on the screen when the card is read by the doctor? 
4. The new card surprisingly are NOT usable in polyclinics where upgrade has not happened. So, how does it remain Pan India? 
5. An interesting issue is about the charging of Rs 135 per user. This is surprising. I am informed that the cost of making a smart card comes around Rs 25-30. Most Credit Cards are offered free. These are replaced/ renewed every few years. Should the ECHS card not be subject to replacement purely on wear and tear? Or when system upgrades happen and necessitate the change? Why ask users to pay? Its affordable, but logic? 

The above are just some Points to Ponder. It is nobody's case that refinements and upgrades must not take place. However it must be considered by the initiating agency that first the QSIR (or equivalent) are drawn up deliberately, preferably in consultation with the User- in this case the Veterans, many of whom may understand Automation better than many, not only technically but also as a user themselves. And then, once finalized, the Vendor must be called upon to deliver on all facets projected to them. It may have happened, but there are Gray areas prevailing still. 

Attached herein, are Two extremely informative papers written by Cdr Vaidyanathan, who aside from being knowledgeable in the field of IT, has also had hands on experience as OC Polyclinic in two Polyclinics. We have been in touch over ECHS issues- particularly this one, for some years now, and this may therefore be construed to have been adequately researched and mulled over. The Paper 'Automation of Polyclinics' Written in 2010 was projected to ECHS Central Org then. The views of ECHS Central Org are in Blue and the observations by Cdr Vaidyanathan in Red. These have been included to provide a balanced view, so readers may derive full benefit of a Technical Gyan on the subject.

This mail is addressed to those connected with the ECHS, including some veterans, who I hope will stay in a common info loop to work to see that the issue comes to its logical conclusion. It is NOT a critique. 

The object of writing is two fold. First, for those in official position to alter matters, it intends to give technical details to be able to get SITL - the vendor, to deliver on its promises/ sales pitch/ commitments/ our projections. Second, for the Veterans reading this, it is to serve as an Info Download, to be able to know what to expect, and if there are any suggestions/ ideas, to throw them up to the addressees in this mail. 

As for the most FAQ thrown to me "Shall I get a New Card?"- Well, Read and Decide.

With Warm Regards,
Col RP Chaturvedi,
A-35, Sector 36, 
Noida 201303.
Mob: +919891279035

Nescit Cedere

DON'T VOTE FOR THE UPA IN NEXT ELECTIONS. THEY FAILED TO LOOK AFTER  INTERESTS OF EX-SERVICEMEN

__._,_.___

Attachment(s) from Rakesh Prasad Chaturvedi

2 of 2 File(s)

 PROBLEMS IN THE UTILIZATION OF SITL SOFTWARE .doc

 Automation of Polyclinics - Cdr Vaidyanathan 2010.doc

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[arun...@gmail.com]

[Wg Cdr Shashank Bendre]

Sir,

Besides the points brought out by Col. Chaturvedi, I want to bring out another point: 

Veterans are NOT like serving servicemen young of age to be mobile and agile :

-Many of us are well past 70 years of age

- Many of us are past 80

-Many widows 

- Many live in rural areas

-Many are physically handicapped

-Everybody does not own a car/twowheeler.

-Regional centers are not easily accessible. Even  in Cities like Mumbai, such centres are far off . Transport difficulties are enormous to reach such places. 

 So it  would be  extremely difficult to go through the process all over again! 

ECHS authorities must find a via media and not put veterans to harassment. I would rather give up ECHS facilities than be subjected to this !  

[ese...@gmail.com]

[bikram....@gmail.com]

what is the time bar of renewing the echs smart card?

On Sunday, June 16, 2013 at 12:57:29 PM UTC+5:30, Veterans India wrote:

[jonahjones16cav]

31 Aug 2018

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Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

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