New Employees’ Health Scheme from June 2
Teachers’ unions had objected to the 1.5 per cent deduction made from salaries in the name of health scheme contribution, saying employees were not given prior information.
Hyderabad: Telangana’s new Employees’ Health Scheme (EHS) will begin on June 2 through a healthcare trust, with medical services to be made available to employees, teachers and pensioners in recognised hospitals across the state, said Telangana State United Teachers’ Federation (TSUTF) after a meeting with chief secretary Ramakrishna Rao on Monday.
TSUTF state president Chava Ravi and general secretary A. Venkat said the chief secretary told joint staff council unions that the scheme was being started as per Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s directions, and salary deductions had become necessary before the launch.
Teachers’ unions had objected to the 1.5 per cent deduction made from salaries in the name of health scheme contribution, saying employees were not given prior information. TSUTF said it also raised concern over deductions from both spouses when husband and wife are employees or pensioners.
The federation told the Chief Secretary that guidelines had not been issued, online data collection was still under way, hospitals had not been consulted and package rates for treatment had not been fixed. It also sought clarity on the government’s share, permission for outpatient treatment and an annual master health check-up for all employees above 50.
The Chief Secretary, according to TSUTF, said the trust would be formed within two days and guidelines would be issued within a week.