Railway Reimbursement of cost of OPD Medicines for Chronic Diseases as a special sanction due to COVID 19

Railway Reimbursement

RAILWAYS SENIOR CITIZENS WELFARE SOCIETY
(Estd. 1991, Regd. No. 1881 – Under Registration of Societies Act)
Head Office: 32, Phase- 6, Mohali-160055

Director General (Railway Health Services),
Railway Board,
Rail Bhawan, New Delhi-110001

Dear Sir,

Sub: Reimbursement of cost of OPD Medicines for Chronic Diseases as a special sanction due to COVID 19 – Request for Issuing of comprehensive updated list of chronic diseases due to urgent necessity thereof.

Ref: i) Railway Board’s letter No. 2020/H-1/7/2/B Dated 28.3.2020 & follow up thereof
ii) Railway Board’s letter no. 2006/H/DC/JCM Dated 12-10-2006
iii) Railway Board’s Letter No. 2006/H/DC/JCM dated 24-04-2017.

1. Railway Reimbursement of cost of OPD Medicines for Chronic Diseases, has been allowed vide Railway Board’s letters cited at SI. No i) above as a special sanction due to COVID-19. But the List of Chronic Diseases has not been updated even after a lapse of nearly 14 years since the same was circulated vide Railway Board’s letter dated 12-10-2006 cited at No. ii) above.

2. As per enclosed letters of Punjab Health Deptt and of Chandigarh Administration, as many as 32 diseases have been enlisted as chronic.

3. Railway Board, vide its letter dated 12-10-2006 had circulated a list of ten (10) chronic diseases which was given as an example and the definition of Chronic Diseases was mentioned as under:

“Any disease which persists for a period of approximately three months or more is defined as chronic disease.”

4. Vide Board’s letter dated 24-04-2017 cited at iii) above, it was clarified to all CMD’s of Indian Railways that:-

“The list circulated vide letter dated 12-10-2006 was NOT exhaustive and DG (RHS) directed that Zonal Medical Officers should decide whether a disease is Chronic or not.”

5. In spite of the said instructions from DG(RHS) vide letter dated 24-04-2017, the CMDs of Zonal Railway have not so far updated the list circulated by Railway Board vide letter of 12-10-2006 even to include some of the widely declare Chronic diseases like Glycemia etc. which are lifelong diseases which can only be controlled by medicines but cannot be cured.

6. Non-updating of the list of Chronic Diseases and non-issue of a consolidated uniform list of such diseases, by the Railway Board, is causing harassment and hardship to the affected beneficiaries of the above cited orders – as the affected patients are unable to reach out to the CMDs for consideration of their Diseases for inclusion in the list of Chronic Diseases. As such, the clarification issued by the Board has become ineffective and non-implementable.

7. Various State Governments including Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh have notified a lists of 32 Chronic Diseases which last for 5 years or more as per DOH&FA Punjab letter No. 12/10/12-5C5/1165 Dated 04 June 2010 (copy attached) vide which the employees, Pensioners and their dependents suffering with these 32 Chronic Diseases are entitled to claim Reimbursement for the Medicines of these 32 Diseases.

Covid-19 Advisory for the safety of senior citizens aged over 60

8. The said orders of DOH&FW Punjab have been extended by the Union Territory of Chandigarh to its employees and Pensioners as well.

9. It is reiterated that due to lack of a comprehensive list of Chronic Diseases from the Railway Board, the critically ill patients in case of Railway Beneficiaries continue to suffer financially as well as due to their medical condition, especially due to advanced age, all of which do not allow them to approach CMD to express their miseries.

10. Keeping all above facts in mind, to assuage the sufferings of beneficiaries, and to bring about a uniformity in application, you are requested to issue a consolidated list of Chronic Diseases applicable throughout Indian Railways.

Yours truly,

(Harchandan Singh)
Secretary General, RSCWS