‘ECHS Is for Service, Not Command’: Veterans seek medical officers as Polyclinic OICs
Babushahi Bureau
Nawanshahr (Punjab), September 9, 2026: Veterans Welfare By Veterans, District Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (SBS Nagar), Punjab, has urged the Centre to review the system for appointing Officers-in-Charge (OICs) at ECHS Polyclinics following complaints of alleged misbehaviour and insensitive conduct by some officials.
A delegation of the organisation, led by Ashwani Joshi, has approached the President of India and the Defence Minister, seeking intervention to ensure that ECHS Polyclinics operate with the approach of healthcare institutions rather than a command-oriented military setup.
The organisation said the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) exists to provide healthcare and welfare services to veterans and their dependents. Veterans visiting polyclinics for treatment, it said, should therefore not be treated as if they are reporting to a commanding officer.
The veterans’ body has particularly raised concerns over complaints involving some retired senior officers who have been re-employed in ECHS and are allegedly carrying a rigid command-style approach into their present assignments.
It pointed out that many veterans visiting ECHS facilities are elderly, with a significant number in the 70–85 age group. Such patients, it said, require patience, empathy and courteous treatment, particularly when they are seeking medical care.
The organisation stressed that while military discipline remains important, it should not become a reason for discourteous or humiliating behaviour. Veterans who spent their working years serving the country, it said, deserve respect and dignity, especially during the later stages of their lives.
Veterans Welfare By Veterans has proposed that OICs of ECHS Polyclinics should preferably be selected from medical professionals, including retired Army Medical Corps (AMC) officers or Military Nursing Service (MNS) personnel with suitable experience in hospital administration.
According to the organisation, managing a polyclinic requires an understanding of patients, healthcare requirements, medical ethics and hospital administration. It argued that a medically trained administrator would be better equipped to understand the needs of elderly veterans and their dependents.
The organisation has also sought interim measures until any structural changes are introduced. It said non-medical officers re-employed as OICs should undergo appropriate sensitisation and be given clear guidelines regarding their responsibilities as healthcare service providers.
It has called for a Code of Conduct focusing on courtesy, dignity, empathy and respectful communication with veterans and their families.
The veterans’ body has further demanded a transparent grievance-redressal system at every ECHS Polyclinic, along with a feedback register through which complaints and suggestions can be recorded and periodically reviewed by higher authorities.
The organisation said its concerns were not aimed at undermining military discipline or administrative authority, but at ensuring that such authority is exercised responsibly and compassionately in a healthcare environment.
“Veterans have already served the nation. When they visit an ECHS Polyclinic, they should experience a culture of care rather than a culture of command,” the organisation said.
It urged the Ministry of Defence and senior ECHS authorities to take cognisance of the complaints, examine grievances objectively and introduce administrative reforms to improve the functioning of ECHS Polyclinics.
The organisation said veterans primarily expect accessible healthcare, respectful treatment and dignity from the system established to serve them.