Government to bear babus' medical treatment expenses abroad,air fare

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New Delhi: Bureaucrats and their dependent family members can now get complex medical treatment abroad at state expense and also get their airfare reimbursed under government's new rules that comes at a time when it is facing flak over the ailing economy.
A member of All India Services- Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) can also be airlifted outside the state in cases of a medical emergency, the new rules by Ministry of Personnel said.
"A member of Service shall be eligible to obtain medical treatment outside India or, as the case maybe, to claim reimbursement of the cost of medical treatment obtained inside or outside India," they said.
Earlier, reimbursement of cost of medical treatment incurred abroad by All India Services officer was disallowed. An IAS, IPS and IFoS officer may avail medical treatment outside India for himself or for a member of his family for complex or high-risk cardiovascular surgery, bone marrow transplant and for complex medical and oncological disorders, such as leukemia and neo-plastic conditions, the rules said.
They may also get treatment abroad for complex high-risk cases in micro-vascular and neuro surgery and extremely complex ailments. However, a screening committee will decide on recommending cases for treatment abroad.
An attendant of member of services will also be entitled for to and fro air fare. "The scale of expenditure and the eligibility for treatment is identical to the scale of expenditure and the eligibility of an official of the Indian Foreign Service of the corresponding grade in the Ministry of External Affairs," according to the rules.
As many as 4,737 IAS officers, 3,637 IPS officers and 2,700 IFoS personnel are working across the country. The Centre has also decided to allow airlifting of an officer outside the state in case of an emergency on the basis of the recommendation of a doctor from the government or from a recognised private hospital.
"The requirement of obtaining the certificate from Chief Administrative Medical Officer of the State be waived by the head of the ministry or department or office in case where the patient has been referred outside the state for obtaining emergency or life saving treatment," the rules said.
"The patient (whether member of the Service or a member of his family dependent on him) and also his attendant will also be entitled to travelling allowance plus daily allowance for the period of journey undertaken by rail, as per entitled class or the lower class by which the journey is actually performed, road, sea (ship, steamer, etc.), and air (within the country) for obtaining appropriate medical attendance or treatment," they said.
The officers will also be entitled for conveyance charges for journeys undertaken within the city and ambulance charges. A member of the service will also be entitled to claim reimbursement of travelling allowance expenses in connection with the journeys undertaken by a donor of a kidney.