H&ME department sanctions J&K Contributory Corpus Welfare fund
The Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department has accorded sanctions for the creation of the Jammu & Kashmir Contributory Corpus (Welfare) Fund for the contractual employees of the National Health Mission (NHM), J&K.
The creation of funds has been aimed and objected to for the welfare of NHM employees engaged on a contractual basis.
An order in this regard has been issued by Vivek Bharadwaj, Additional Chief Secretary Health & Medical Education Department. Further, the H&ME Department has regulated guidelines with regard to the creation of funds.
“The resources of the fund will be a monthly voluntary contribution by the NHM employees, voluntary donations, if any, from the known sources. However, a matching employer’s share shall be contingent upon the release of funds for the purpose from the Ministry of the Health & Family Welfare, Gol”, the guidelines read.
Further, as per the guidelines, “NHM employee” means, a contractual employee engaged under National Health Mission. But, shall not include the employees, who are on deputation to NHM J&K from other government departments including Health & Medical Education.
As per the guidelines, the State Health Society J&K will exhort its contractual employees to contribute to the fund on monthly basis. A matching employer’s share shall also be contributed to the fund, provided the employer i.e. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Gol releases the funds for the purpose.
In the event, the funds for the purpose are not released/approved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Gol, the contribution to the fund shall continue to be made by the employees only.
The fund shall be raised by monthly subscription from such NHM employees who opt to contribute to the fund. The monthly contributions to the fund shall be Rs.100 for those employees with an income slab less than 25, 000 and Rs.150 for those employees with an income slab more than 25, 000.
The monthly contribution of the NHM employees and the matching employer’s share, if any, shall be credited to a dedicated bank account to be maintained in The Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd. The Funds may be invested in a ‘Sweep Account’. The corpus fund shall be utilized, on a need basis, as per clause 4 of the guidelines.
In case of death in harness, of a contractual NHM employee who has opted to contribute and has made contributions to the fund, an amount of Rs.10.00 lacs shall be sanctioned by the Mission Director, NHM, in favor of the legal heirs of the deceased employee out of the corpus fund upon its approval by the committee responsible for the administration of the fund.
Medical expenses of the subscriber and their dependent family members during the period of hospitalization in a government hospital and other empaneled hospitals may be reimbursed to the extent of actual expenses incurred, subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs.3.00 lacs upon its approval by the committee responsible for the administration of the fund. The reimbursement shall, however, be made on the production of bills and vouchers duly certified by the hospital authority in accordance with the extant government rules for this purpose.
The funds shall be administered by a committee consisting of the following members as Chairman Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K, Member Secretary Financial Advisor/Chief Accounts Officer, NHM, and Members State Nodal Officer, NHM,, Divisional Nodal Officer, Jammu/ Kashmir. The quorum for sanctioning the relief shall be three members, including the chairman of the committee.
In case of any doubt in giving effect to this fund the opinion of the Health & the Medical Education Department shall be final. The guidelines can be amended, if needed, upon its approval of the Executive committee of the State Health Society and also by the Health & the Medical Education Department. The relief from the fund shall not be available to such NHM employees who may not opt to contribute to the fund.
