The Hon’ble President of India

To
The Hon’ble President of India
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi – 110001

Subject: Representation regarding the deteriorating functioning of CGHS Wellness Centre, Bhubaneswar and the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in the interest of Central Government pensioners and CGHS beneficiaries.

Respected Madam,

I, Lokanath Mishra, Chief Adviser, All India Pensioners’ Association (AIPA) of CBIC, most respectfully submit this representation for your kind intervention regarding the unsatisfactory functioning of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The CGHS was established with the noble objective of providing quality and affordable healthcare to Central Government employees, pensioners and their dependents. Unfortunately, the present condition of CGHS services in Bhubaneswar has caused immense hardship to thousands of beneficiaries, particularly senior citizen pensioners who depend entirely on the scheme for their medical needs.

Despite repeated grievances and representations, the CGHS administration at Bhubaneswar has failed to provide efficient, patient-friendly and quality healthcare services. The major issues being faced by beneficiaries are summarized below:

1. Non-empanelment of reputed private hospitals:
   Several leading multi-specialty hospitals in Bhubaneswar, such as Apollo Hospitals, Care Hospitals, Manipal Hospitals and Sparsh Hospitals, are not empanelled under CGHS. Consequently, pensioners are deprived of advanced medical facilities and specialist treatment available in these institutions. It appears that the CGHS authorities have not made sincere and sustained efforts to persuade or facilitate the empanelment of these reputed hospitals.
2. Poor behaviour towards pensioners:
   Many beneficiaries have experienced discourteous and insensitive behaviour from certain officials and staff members. Senior citizens, who deserve respect and assistance, often face unnecessary inconvenience, delays and indifferent treatment while availing CGHS services.
3. Non-continuation of specialist-prescribed medicines:
   Doctors at CGHS Wellness Centres frequently do not continue the medicines prescribed by specialist doctors treating the patients. Instead, they substitute such medicines with alternatives without adequate medical justification, causing anxiety and disruption in treatment.
4. Supply of inferior or less effective medicines:
   Beneficiaries have repeatedly reported that medicines supplied through CGHS are of comparatively lower quality or are therapeutically less effective than those prescribed by specialists. As a result, many pensioners are compelled to purchase medicines from the open market at their own expense because the medicines supplied through CGHS fail to provide adequate relief or cure.
5. Acute shortage of doctors and staff:
   The CGHS Wellness Centres in Bhubaneswar suffer from severe shortages of Medical Officers, pharmacists and other essential staff. This results in overcrowding, prolonged waiting times and inadequate patient care, particularly affecting elderly pensioners with chronic ailments.
6. Overall administrative failure:
   The cumulative effect of the above deficiencies demonstrates that the CGHS administration in Bhubaneswar has failed to fulfil its primary responsibility of ensuring accessible, quality and dignified healthcare services to beneficiaries.

In view of the above, I most humbly request your good office to kindly intervene and direct the concerned authorities to:

• Ensure immediate empanelment of reputed hospitals such as Apollo, Care, Manipal, Sparsh and other eligible super-speciality institutions in Bhubaneswar.
• Conduct an independent enquiry into the functioning of CGHS Bhubaneswar and fix accountability for administrative lapses.
• Fill all vacant posts of doctors, pharmacists and supporting staff on an urgent basis.
• Ensure that medicines prescribed by specialist doctors are ordinarily continued unless there are valid clinical reasons to modify them.
• Strengthen quality control mechanisms so that only effective and high-quality medicines are supplied to beneficiaries.
• Issue appropriate directions to all CGHS officials and staff to maintain courteous and respectful behaviour towards pensioners and senior citizens.
• Establish an effective grievance redressal mechanism with periodic monitoring and accountability.

The Central Government pensioners have devoted the prime years of their lives in the service of the nation. They deserve accessible, dignified and quality healthcare in their advancing years. I therefore earnestly request your kind intervention to safeguard their legitimate rights and ensure that CGHS Bhubaneswar functions in accordance with its intended objectives.

I shall remain ever grateful for your kind consideration and appropriate action.

Yours faithfully,

(Lokanath Mishra)
Chief Adviser
All India Pensioners’ Association (AIPA) of CBIC
Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Date: 12.6.26
Place: Bhubaneswar

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Copy forwarded for information and necessary action to:

1. The Hon’ble Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi.
2. The Hon’ble Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi.
3. The Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi.
4. The Director, Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi.
5. The Additional Director, Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Bhubaneswar, Odisha.