Telangana Employees Health Scheme Faces Technical Glitches and Hospital Opt-Outs
The Telangana government's newly launched Employees Health Scheme is experiencing technical difficulties and resistance from private hospitals, hindering its rollout. The scheme, which began on July 17, aims to provide cashless medical treatment to over 17.88 lakh beneficiaries, including 4.38 lakh employees and 3.61 lakh pensioners.
The official website for downloading health cards was temporarily shut down from July 18 to July 20 due to technical glitches. Employees reported that cards were being generated based on outdated government data. The Employees Healthcare Trust has assured that the website will be restored with corrected data and advised employees to download cards only after the restoration.
Separately, the Telangana Network Hospitals Association (TANHA) has refused to join the scheme, citing financial unviability. The association claims that the revised CGHS package rates offered under the scheme are lower than previous packages and could lead to losses. TANHA has also demanded that the government clear pending dues from the old employees health scheme before enrolling new hospitals.
The scheme offers 1,816 medical and surgical packages at 886 private hospitals and 114 government institutions. Despite its ambitious scope, the success of the scheme depends on resolving these technical and financial issues.
