KMC plans health scheme for staff, councillors after resignations
Kolkata: The resignation of about 200 employees, including engineers, has led the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to propose, for the first time, a comprehensive health scheme for its employees and councillors modelled on the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS).
The KMC has recently cleared the proposal following a recommendation of the Mayor-in-Council. Officials said that the absence of a structured health scheme has left KMC employees and pensioners dependent on limited reimbursement-based medical facilities.
According to official documents viewed by Millennium Post, this gap has had a direct impact on manpower, with nearly 200 employees having resigned or moved out of the civic body in recent years. The official records link the resignations to the lack of adequate medical cover, particularly the absence of cashless treatment facilities. At present, KMC employees and pensioners are not covered under the WBHS, which applies to state government employees. The proposed scheme seeks to bridge this gap by extending similar benefits to councillors, employees, pensioners, family pensioners and eligible dependents. Under the scheme, beneficiaries will be entitled to cashless medical treatment at government hospitals and empanelled health care organisations where such facilities are available.
In cases where cashless treatment cannot be availed, reimbursement of medical expenses will be permitted in accordance with prescribed norms. Coverage includes indoor hospitalisation, outdoor treatment, surgeries, diagnostic tests, medicines, follow-up treatment and other medical services specified in the scheme.
In monetary terms, the scheme provides coverage of up to Rs 1 lakh per individual per year or Rs 1.5 lakh per family per year. For specified critical diseases, the reimbursement ceiling has been fixed at Rs 2 lakh. Treatment at recognised specialty hospitals outside West Bengal will also be allowed, subject to prior approval from the competent authority.
It was learnt that KMC currently has 14,267 employees and 9,765 pensioners, making the absence of a structured health scheme a significant welfare concern. Rising medical costs and increasing dependence on private hospitals have further underscored the need for the scheme, said an official.
Enrollment under the scheme will be optional. However, beneficiaries opting for it will not be eligible for any other KMC health scheme.
Operational guidelines will be issued by the Municipal Secretary’s department, and any difficulty arising during implementation will be referred to the state government, whose decision will be final.
