COVID-19 will be treated as emergency and NO REFERRAL is required either for treatment or for testing for all ECHS
Tele: 25683476
Mil: 36833
Central Organisation, ECHS
Adjutant General’s Branch
Integrated Headquarters
Ministry of Defence (Army)
Thimayya Marg, Near Gopinath
Circle, Delhi Cantt-110010
B/49770/AG/ECHS/Treatment/Policy
10 Sep 2020
IHQ of MoD (Navy)/Dir ECHS (N)
DAV Subroto Park
HQ Southern Command (A/ECHS)
HQ Eastern Command (A/ECHS)
HQ Western Command (A/ECHS)
HQ Central Command (A/ECHS)
HQ Northern Command (A/ECHS)
HQ South Western Command (A/ECHS)
HQ Andaman & Nicobar Command (A/ECHS)
AMA ECHS, Embassy of India, Nepal
All Regional Centres
CORONA VIRUSICOVID-19) : ADVISORY
Please refer the following :-
(a) CO ECHS letter No B/49770/AG/ECHS/Treatment/Policy dated 24 Mar 2020.
(b) CO ECHS letter No B/49770/AG/ECHS/Treatment/Policy dated 31 Mar 2020.
(c) CO ECHS letter No B/49770/AG/ECHS/Treatment/Policy dated 01 Apr 2020.
2. It is once again reiterated that all suspected/ confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be treated as emergency and NO REFERRAL is required either for treatment or for testing for all ECHS beneficiaries when they approach the empanelled hospitals/diagnostic centers directly.
3. Where ECHS beneficiaries are referred to empanelled hospitals for non-COVID cases. a referral for COVID test will also be endorsed by the OIC Polyclinic However in cases where such endorsement is not there, hospitals will carry out test if required without any referral on cash less basis and include in the bill at admissible rates.
4 Following guidelines will be implemented by all Dir of RCs wrt COVID patient management:-
(a) Coordinate with local SEMO/Service hospital for treatment of ECHS beneficiaries.
(b) All RCs will monitor on daily basis the bed availability of each empanelled hospital for COVID patients and work out mechanism to ensure beneficiaries are not denied admission.
(c) Nominate a nodal officer from RC and each PC and publicize their contact numbers through various media. Their names and numbers will also be prominently displayed at the Registration counter of all empanelled facilities. Ensure these offrs are available 24×7.
(d) The names and contacts numbers of nodal officials of empanelled hospital dealing with ECHS should also be displayed at the registration counter of empanelled hospitals and the same should be made available to OIC of COVID centres of the service hospital. Dir Regional centre will ensure co-ordination between the two agencies also.
(e) Carryout liaison with Civil Adm officials and Health officials to intervene wherever required to ensure services are rendered by empanelled hospitals.
5. It should be advised to ECHS beneficiaries that in case of suspected/confirmed case of COVID-19 the patient can even go to a non empanelled hospital provided it has the capability of treatment testing as it will be considered as an emergency. EIR should be raised as per policy and PC should be informed within 48 hours. Reimbursement will be done in all such cases as per Govt notified rates.
6. The contents of the letter will be disseminated to all concerned expeditiously and implemented forthwith.
(KB Rana)
Surg Capt
Offg Dir (Med)
for MD ECHS