A New Year’s wish for Telangana government employees

Nearly six lakh government employees and pensioners in Telangana are stepping into the New Year with a single, heartfelt hope—the rollout of a new Cashless Employee Health Scheme (EHS) or the creation of a dedicated Employee Health Trust. For them, this is not just another welfare measure; it is a long-overdue lifeline.

The Government of Telangana has earned praise for its consistent efforts to strengthen public health and ensure timely, quality treatment for citizens. Yet, government employees and pensioners—the backbone of the state’s governance—remain trapped in a painful contradiction. Despite clear mandates and established norms for healthcare coverage, cashless treatment is largely out of reach. Many hospital managements, for reasons only they know, hesitate to offer cashless services, leaving employees vulnerable during their most critical moments.

For a government servant, illness often brings a dual burden: concern for health coupled with financial strain. Many are forced to pay hefty hospital bills upfront, borrow money, or deplete their life savings, only to wait endlessly for reimbursements that may arrive late or not at all. Pensioners, living on fixed incomes, face even greater hardships, as medical emergencies quickly become financial nightmares. In such times, the sense of security long associated with government service seems to slip away. 

Reliable sources suggest that a new Employee Health Trust is under consideration, with employees and pensioners willing to contribute fairly. This collective approach could ease the government’s financial load, while removing dependence on expensive private insurance policies that often fail when needed most. A trust-based model—rooted in transparency and shared responsibility—has the potential to restore faith and dignity in employee healthcare.

The scale of this issue is significant. Six lakh employees and pensioners, along with their dependents—averaging five per family—amount to nearly 30–35 lakh individuals. This is no small segment; it is a population comparable to that of a small state, waiting with cautious optimism for a compassionate policy decision.

Introducing a robust, cashless health scheme would offer a breath of relief to the entire employee community. It would allow employees to start the New Year free from the constant worry of medical emergencies, focusing instead on their duties with peace of mind. After all, a workforce that feels secure is a workforce that performs with dedication and integrity.

If implemented within the government’s feasibility and affordability framework, this initiative would be nothing short of a New Year’s gift—a gesture resonating deeply across Telangana. Its success would not only be celebrated by employees and pensioners but remembered as a landmark moment of empathy-driven governance.

In the end, healthcare security is not a privilege—it is a rightful assurance for those who dedicate their lives to public service. As the New Year begins, the employee community hopes this assurance will finally move from promise to practice, turning hope into healing and service into security.

 Ramesh Paka, General Secretary, Telangana Tahsildar’s Assn. & OSD to Health Minister