Employees Feel Betrayed in Rajasthan, Call Health Schemes and Medical Facilities a Farce

Jaipur- 'The Bhajan Lal government , which claims to champion the interests of employees, is more focused on filling its own coffers rather than ensuring employee welfare. Despite significant cuts in various state schemes, the lack of on-ground implementation has left ordinary employees and pensioners feeling deceived.

Whether it is due to systemic shortcomings or the absence of an Employee Welfare Commission, the intended benefits of these schemes are not reaching the common employee and pensioner, leading to a sense of betrayal.'

These sentiments emerged during a seminar titled "Employee and Pensioner Welfare a Farce" organized by Teachers Union in Banswara on Saturday.

The conference, saw employees and pensioners from various districts voicing their discontent and sharing personal experiences that highlighted the shortcomings of the state-run health schemes.

They agreed unanimously that while on one hand, the state government boasts about providing free medication, while on the other, it forcibly deducts monthly amounts from state employees for health schemes like RPMF, RGHS, group accident insurance, and various private health insurances. Despite collecting these amounts, it fails to provide adequate services.

The employees have proposed the establishment of a state-level Employee Welfare Commission, with nodal officers appointed at district levels, to create an effective monitoring system. This would ensure that the benefits of free health schemes like RPMF, RGHS, group accident insurance, and various private health insurances are available to government servants, pensioners, and the common people.

Employees Feel Betrayed

The seminar began with a detailed analysis of the Rajasthan Government's health schemes such as the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS), Rajasthan Pensioners Medical Fund (RPMF), and group accident insurance policies.

Speakers argued that despite significant monthly deductions from their salaries for these schemes, the benefits are not reaching the employees and pensioners. They expressed frustration over the poor implementation and lack of proper medical facilities.

On one hand, the state claims to provide free medication to the public, while on the other, employees face forced monthly deductions for health schemes amounting to crores of rupees statewide.

However, senior pensioners, when struggling with illness, find themselves in despair, cursing the government and wandering from pharmacy to pharmacy, only to be told that prescribed medications are unavailable or discontinued. This leaves them feeling cheated.

Several employees and pensioners shared their harrowing experiences of navigating the state's medical facilities.

Many recounted instances of being turned away from pharmacies due to unavailable prescribed medications, despite these medications being listed in the health scheme. Pensioners, in particular, spoke emotionally about being forced to sell their savings and jewelry to afford necessary treatments that were supposed to be covered under the state schemes.

Major Points of Contention

1. Unavailability of Life-Saving Drugs: Speakers highlighted that essential and life-saving medications are often not available at designated medical stores. They criticized the government for continuous reductions in the list of approved medications, leaving patients with no choice but to purchase expensive alternatives out-of-pocket.

2. Inadequate Facilities for Dental Care: Another major issue raised was the exclusion of dental care from the health schemes. Employees and pensioners pointed out that dental problems are common, especially with age, and the lack of coverage forces them to seek expensive private treatment.

3. Delayed Payments to Pharmacies: It was revealed that authorized pharmacies frequently refuse to provide medications due to delayed payments from the government. This has resulted in many employees and pensioners being denied timely access to necessary medications.

4. Forced Deductions with No Benefits: Participants voiced strong opposition to the forced monthly deductions for health schemes, arguing that these deductions amount to crores of rupees statewide. Despite this, the promised benefits and facilities are not provided, leaving employees feeling exploited and betrayed.

The conference concluded with a unanimous call for the establishment of a state-level Employee Welfare Commission. The proposed commission would address the growing issues faced by employees and pensioners and ensure proper monitoring and implementation of health schemes. Additionally, they demanded the appointment of a nodal officer at each district level to promptly address local problems and facilitate immediate resolution.

The seminar was attended by various employees and teacher union leaders including Virendra Sharma, Naveen Kumar Sharma,Lalit R. Patidar, Anil Vyas, Virendra Chaudhary, Naveen Joshi, Satish Joshi, Lokesh Pandya, Arun S. Vyas, Nilesh Shah, Mahipal Bhuta, and Lokesh Patel, along with numerous teachers and pensioners from various districts.