ONGC veterans breathe easy as premium medical scheme endures amid soaring costs

New Delhi: As ONGC employees, serving as well as retired, panic over medical facilities provided to them, the management has put to rest a controversy surrounding the apprehensions, at least for the time being.

The public sector undertaking has clarified that there was no proposal to tinker with the current medical facilities and no adoption of CGHS. The management, however, has highlighted the increasing trend in medical expenditures.

The controversy triggered in August, when in an open forum in Ahmedabad, the CGHS issue figured in the backdrop of increasing medical expenses.

It is said that the ONGC has the best medical scheme among all PSUs in the country, and the fear that they might be brought under the CGHS caused confusion and furore. 

As bedlam grew, the Chief ER (Employees Relations) clarified that the existing facilities would continue, and adoption of the CGHS protocol was never in the management’s consideration.

The Chief (ER) clarified, “The ONGC management is totally committed to the welfare of its former employees; it is making all-out efforts to make the facilities sustainable within the existing DPE framework.”

Reassuring further, he said the issue of adopting the CGHS protocol for former employees was never mentioned in any forum. Sessions were held at various work centres to sensitise all about the need to judiciously avail the benefits under the ONGC’s Medical Scheme. Also, these sessions were uploaded on ‘Bandhan’ and ONGC Reports.

Keeping the sensitivity of the employees, the management further mollified and conveyed in a warm manner that the post-retirement medical benefit facilities (PRMBF) would be sustained, “as someday those in service today will also become a beneficiary of this fund. It is our collective duty to ensure that it remains healthy and sustainable. There is a specific need to deal strictly and firmly with misuse of the fund.”

“Chief ER’s letter was issued only after serious anguish was shown by several employees and the ONGC pensioners association over what happened at the Ahmedabad meet,” said a worried employee.

Since the issue is how to arrest the rising expenditure graph, another employee said: “Employees as well as the association of serving and pensioners are of the opinion that ONGC should pump in Rs 3000 crore from the profit in consultation with the Government of India to sustain the very alarming medical expenditure in the coming days.”

It is believed that in the past, as a measure to narrow the gap between expenditure and the budget, various methods were tried, such as requiring employees to make a minimum contribution depending on their rank. But the wide gap could not be arrested.

In 1991, the total strength of employees was around 48,000. It is now approximately 22,600 serving employees. There are about 27,000-30,000 retired employees. Of this, 12,000-15,000 are 70 years and above. There are also many retired employees whose parents are 80 years and above, according to some employees.

One serving employee said, “As one grows old, medical treatment bills are bound to increase. Most of our work is in the field, and the work that we do is health-hazardous. No ordinary employee will be able to afford the steep medical bills unless he/she has the backing of the organisation.”

There is a huge concern among the employees about their health conditions in the long term. 

According to them, it is mandatory for the employees to be on field duty for at least half a month. During this period, drilling has to be done, which results in the emission of gaseous substances and dust from tons of bags of cement, causing huge health hazards in the long run as they affect the liver. 

“It is like working in a gas chamber where there is no natural air, only the stench of chemicals, cement and gas. We live in that abnormal atmosphere and take it as normal because we don’t realise how the body will react in the long run,” the employee said.

But, many cancer-related liver cases have apparently come to notice, which has alarmed many employees. Besides, diabetes and hypertension are common among most staff members.

The ONGC employees appreciate that the management provides them with everything on field duty, from lodging to food of international standards. But they also point out that the existing protein-rich food need not necessarily suit Indian conditions and the Indian body structure.

A majority of the employees are worried about their future health conditions. Although the management may have quelled their worries over any change in the medical facilities for the time being, the employees are seriously considering raising the health care issue with the ONGC management.