Nagpur: To improve the health delivery system for Indian Railways staffer, and streamline the treatment in an emergency at railway empanelled hospitals, the Railway Board has asked zonal managers to ensure serving and retired employees are not put to trouble while getting admission in empanelled hospitals.
The Railway Board had received several representations from beneficiaries, including retired officials, regarding problems being faced during treatment in emergency at empanelled hospitals.
“We are already following these norms. Post admission, our doctors visit the empanelled hospitals and certify whether the patient needs emergency care. They are getting cashless benefits too,” said Central Railway spokesperson SG Rao.
The board has said that medical beneficiaries under emergency condition should get admission in any railway empanelled hospital without any prior referral. The empanelled hospital should not insist on referral from railway hospitals or demand advance in emergency conditions and the hospital has to provide cashless or credit medical facilities to the patients.
The valid unique medical identification card (UMID) card issued will be treated as identification for all railway medical beneficiary. Railways have to make sure that these cards are accepted in the empanelled hospitals under the respective jurisdictions.
“Situation may arise where the railway hospital, after scrutinizing the admission report submitted by empanelled hospital, finds that the patient is not suffering from an emergency. In such cases the patient can continue to avail treatment at the empanelled hospital, if so desired, by paying CGHS rates or hospital rates, whichever is less, at patient’s cost,” the Railway Board has said.
The nature and appropriateness of the emergency are subject to verification, which may be verified, inspected, or medically audited by the nominated authority on a random basis at its own discretion.
The hospitals will have to intimate all instances of patients admitted as emergencies (without prior permission) to the railway authorities within 24 hours and railway will revert within the next 24 hours, otherwise, it will be treated as deemed approval. The empanelled hospital will clearly certify the emergency condition as per MoU.
The board has said that empanelled hospitals will not insist on patients to get the approval of referral or extension from railway hospitals. The same will be coordinated and approved on the contact number and email by the empanelled hospital and railway hospital.
Railway hospital shall refer to the empanelled hospital for the appropriate duration as per the package. Also, the empanelled hospitals will provide necessary treatment in OPD or otherwise to valid railway medical beneficiary at the CGHS approved rates or hospital rates, whichever is less, for the treatment in non-referral and non-emergency case at railway medical beneficiary’s cost.
The zonal railways have been asked to include provisions for these conditions in their MoU with the referral hospitals and also include that refusal to provide treatment to bona fide railway medical beneficiaries in emergency cases without the valid ground would attract disqualification for the continuation of empanelment.