New Delhi, Oct. 5 -- More than 50,000 Delhi Jal Board pensioners and family pensioners will no longer have to pay medical expenses upfront and undergo lengthy reimbursement procedures, with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday launching a cashless healthcare facility under the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan'.
The facility will provide cashless treatment and medical tests through a single-window system, aimed at making access to healthcare simpler for retired DJB employees and their families.
Launching the initiative, Gupta said pensioners had spent a significant part of their lives serving Delhi and deserved easier access to healthcare after retirement.
"Pensioners will now be spared the burden of paying from their own pockets and going through lengthy reimbursement procedures for treatment," she said.
The chief minister said the earlier system required pensioners to first bear medical expenses themselves and subsequently apply for reimbursement, a process that could be particularly difficult for elderly beneficiaries.
Gupta said the government had faced several challenges while implementing the new system but worked towards resolving them. "The government's objective is not merely to launch schemes, but to create systems that make people's lives easier," she said.
She added that the initiative was also a mark of recognition for the contribution of retired DJB employees who had served the city for years.
Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the new facility was aimed at ensuring that retired employees did not have to navigate cumbersome paperwork to access medical care.
"Delhi Jal Board employees spent their entire lives serving Delhiites, now it is our responsibility to look after their healthcare," Singh said.
He said more than 50,000 pensioners and family pensioners would benefit from the initiative, with the single-window mechanism simplifying the process of accessing treatment and medical services.
"This is not merely a medical facility, but also a reflection of the respect and sense of responsibility towards employees who made a significant contribution to providing water and sewer services to households across Delhi for years," Singh said.
The cashless healthcare facility is part of the Delhi government's broader 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' and is intended to reduce both the financial burden and administrative difficulties faced by retired DJB employees while seeking treatment.
Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman and MLA Satish Upadhyay, MCD Mayor Pravesh Wahi, Delhi government Principal Secretary Rajeev Verma, DJB CEO Sajjan Singh Yadav, board members and senior officials were present at the launch.
The government said the initiative would make healthcare services more accessible to pensioners and their families while providing them with a more convenient and dignified system of medical care.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.