Port Blair: For thousands of retired government employees and pensioners residing in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, access to quality and affordable healthcare has long remained a challenge due to geographical isolation and limited specialist medical facilities. The proposed establishment of a Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Wellness Centre at Port Blair ( now Sri Vijaya Puram) is now offering a ray of hope, with the facility expected to bring comprehensive healthcare benefits closer to home and significantly reduce the hardships faced by beneficiaries.
The proposed CGHS Wellness Centre has the potential to emerge as a game-changing healthcare initiative for the Islands, extending quality medical services and financial security to thousands of pensioners, retired government employees and their dependents. Once operational, eligible beneficiaries would be able to access a broad range of healthcare services under the CGHS framework, including outpatient consultations, medicines, diagnostic facilities and specialist referrals.
More importantly, the facility would enable beneficiaries to avail cashless treatment at CGHS-empanelled hospitals across the country in accordance with CGHS norms. This would provide much-needed relief to pensioners who are often required to spend substantial amounts on medical treatment and travel to mainland India for specialised healthcare services.
The establishment of a CGHS Wellness Centre is expected to bridge a longstanding gap in healthcare delivery in the Islands by providing a reliable healthcare support system for retired government employees and their families. The facility would also enhance medical security for an ageing population that increasingly depends on regular medical care and specialist treatment.
Against this backdrop, Member of Parliament Bishnu Pada Ray has intensified his efforts to secure early approval for the long-pending proposal. During a meeting held in New Delhi on Thursday, the lone Lok Sabha MP from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands met Dr. Satish, Director, CGHS Headquarters, to review the status of the proposal and press for its expeditious clearance. During the discussions, the Director informed the MP that the proposal for establishing a CGHS Wellness Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram had already been processed by the CGHS Headquarters along with the necessary recommendations and forwarded to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for further consideration.
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Ray also followed up with the Employees Health Scheme Division of the Ministry, where officials informed him that the proposal is presently under active consideration for an appropriate policy decision, subject to the availability of resources within the Health Department of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
The MP has been consistently pursuing the demand with both the Union Health Ministry and the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, citing the pressing healthcare needs of pensioners and retired employees living in the geographically isolated Union Territory.
Expressing satisfaction over the progress made so far, Ray underscored the urgency of the proposal and stressed that the welfare of retired government employees should remain a priority. He reiterated his commitment to continue pursuing the matter until the CGHS Wellness Centre is formally sanctioned and made operational in the Islands.
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With the proposal now reportedly under active consideration, hopes are rising among thousands of pensioners that a long-awaited healthcare support system may soon become a reality, ushering in a new era of medical security, affordability and convenience for the Islands’ retired community.
