CHENNAI: Major General NS Jamwal, Officiating General Officer Commanding Andhra, Karnataka and Kerala Area, on Friday launched the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Polyclinic. The second phase will be at Fort Saint George complex, behind Saint Mary’s Church, dedicated to the Armed Forces veterans.After dedicating the polyclinic, Jamwal said “This is the first polyclinic to be established and made fully functional in the second phase of ECHS in the country.”At present, there are 227 polyclinics across the country, in the first phase of which 22 are located in Tamil Nadu alone. These polyclinics provide comprehensive medical facilities through their inherent methods and by their empaneled hospitals to the ex-service men.“Additionally, approval has been given to establish 199 polyclinics across the country in the second phase. Seven of those will also be coming up in the state,” Major General Jamwal told reporters.The newly launched polyclinic is expected to benefit approximately 12,000 veterans and their families in Chennai. The ECHS was implemented in 2003 with the aim to provide high-class health care to the veterans and their families residing in places far from the military hospitals.According to a release, Chennai is a high-pressure station with more than 28,000 ex-servicemen and their families. In order to ease the pressure off of the only polyclinic that existed earlier in St Thomas Mount Cantonment, a need was felt for establishing one more polyclinic and thus the Polyclinic Island Grounds was approved to cater to the needs of the veterans of Central and North Chennai.The newly launched polyclinic will have all the facilities for outpatient treatment including x-ray, dental and laboratory facilities. Also, the polyclinic is fully automated, with almost no paperwork, a first among the ECHS polyclinics.
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