NEW DELHI: Over 55 lakh ex-servicemen and their eligible dependents benefitted from the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) that provides cashless and capless medical benefits, the ministry of defence told in Lok Sabha.
Apart from a vast network of 427 ECHS polyclinics and 30 ECHS Regional Centres and Empanelled Health Care Organizations in India, the ministry also has six ECHS in Nepal, Defence Minister of State Ajay Bhatt said.
The Ministry also announced the addition of 53 new Health Care Organisations (HCOs) in Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam will have 13 while Krishna and Guntur districts will have nine each.
“Around 1.65 crore beneficiaries have availed medical services and 17.65 Lakh beneficiaries have availed dental services through ECHS in the last three years and the current year,” the minister had stated in the Lok Sabha.
“The amount spent by the Department of Ex-Servicemen under the scheme during the last three years is ₹14,637.89 crores and for the current year is ₹1768.38 crores (as of July 7, 2022),” he added.