Govt to bear babus' med treatment expenses abroad

The government has eased norms and allowed bureaucrats and their dependent family members to get medical treatment abroad at state’s cost.

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 may be, to claim reimbursement of the cost of medical treatment obtained inside or outside India,” they said.

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 cardio-vascular surgery, bone marrow transplant and for complex medical and oncological disorders, such as leukemia and neo-plastic conditions.

They may also get treatment abroad for complex high-risk cases in micro-vascular and neuro surgery and extremely complex ailments, the rules said.

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.

Earlier, reimbursement of cost of medical treatment incurred abroad by All India Services officer was not allowed.