Health Welfare Schemes Turn Into Financial Burden: Here's Why Rajasthan Govt Employees, Pensioners Feel Betrayed

Jaipur- In a scathing criticism of the Bhajan Lal government's health welfare initiatives, the Rajasthan Teachers Union Siyaram has highlighted how state-sponsored health schemes have become a source of financial exploitation rather than relief for government employees and pensioners.

At a seminar organized in Banswara, senior union leaders exposed the glaring gaps in various health welfare schemes, including RPMF, RGHS (Rajasthan Government Health Scheme), and group accident insurance policies. The union alleges that while the state government boasts of providing free healthcare to common citizens, its own employees face systematic exploitation through mandatory monthly deductions without receiving adequate benefits.

"The situation has become particularly dire for senior pensioners," says Siyaram Sharma, State Administrative Chairman of the Rajasthan Teachers Association. "There are heart-wrenching cases where retired employees, after paying insurance premiums throughout their service, are forced to sell their jewelry and life savings to afford medical treatment."

The union highlighted several critical issues plaguing the current healthcare system. Despite collecting crores of rupees monthly through mandatory deductions from employee salaries, essential medicines are often unavailable at hospital pharmacies. Life-saving drugs are being systematically removed from the approved list, and many medications prescribed by doctors are not available at empaneled medical stores.

A particularly concerning aspect is the complete exclusion of dental care from these schemes. "After a certain age, dental problems become common, yet employees and pensioners must pay out of pocket for expensive private treatment," explained Virendra Sharma, State President of the union.

The crisis has deepened due to delayed payments to authorized pharmacies, leading many to refuse service to scheme beneficiaries. This has created a peculiar situation where government employees, despite paying regular premiums, receive fewer benefits than citizens covered under free healthcare initiatives.

To address these systemic failures, the teachers' union has demanded the establishment of a state-level Employee Public Welfare Commission and the appointment of nodal officers in each district. These officers would oversee the implementation of health schemes and ensure prompt resolution of beneficiaries' grievances.

"The current system lacks proper monitoring and accountability," states Naveen Kumar Sharma, State General Secretary. "We need immediate reforms to prevent these welfare schemes from becoming mere tools of financial exploitation."

The seminar, attended by numerous district representatives and retired teachers, concluded with a unified demand for comprehensive reform of the healthcare system. The union has warned that without immediate intervention, the health security of government employees and pensioners remains at serious risk, turning what should be their safety net into a source of anxiety and financial strain.

This growing dissatisfaction among government employees and pensioners poses a significant challenge for the Bhajan Lal government, which had promised improved healthcare benefits for its workforce. As the crisis deepens, the demand for systematic reform of these health welfare schemes continues to grow stronger.