The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) plans to expand its network of wellness centres to provide accessible healthcare to 46 lakh central government health scheme (CGHS) cardholders, including current employees and pensioners. According to the Financial Express, the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers has requested the ministry to relax rules for opening new CGHS wellness centres to enable employees to access healthcare.

Existing Rules:

The central government provides employees with CGHS cards to avail themselves of healthcare services from its wellness centres across India. However, the number of wellness centres has been inadequate, particularly in remote areas. The current rules require at least 6,000 cardholders to start a wellness centre in a new city. However, in some cities with a wellness centre, there may be just 2,000 CGHS cardholders.

In a letter, the confederation had requested the government to relax the norms so that such facilities could be built in new cities. The existing centres are also short on staff and doctors, so it has called for hiring more people, especially in centres with more than 4,000 cardholders.

The letter also highlights healthcare challenges in urban areas. The confederation has urged the government to consider building wellness centres in at least 200 cities across India, mainly in the North East region and areas far away from cities and towns.

Recent Changes:

· Recently, the MoHFW has introduced new guidelines to make accessing CGHS healthcare services more convenient. Now, the cardholder can directly access services at major hospitals, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and more such hospitals, without the need for a prior referral.

· The beneficiary can use a referral form issued by CGHS for a maximum of six consultations and by up to three specialists.

· A referral is necessary for the procedures or specialised tests but not routine check-ups.

· No referral is required for people aged 70 and above to consult the specialists in other empanelled hospitals and perform listed procedures.