The railway board has asked the respective chief medical directors of Railways to explore ways to enter into contracts with the Central Government Health Scheme empaneled private hospitals located within the railways jurisdiction to cover all its beneficiaries serving and retired railway employees and their families. 

In a letter, the deputy director of Health and Family Welfare, Railway Board, H K Sanhotra stated that the Central Government’s Health Scheme (CGHS) covers all the beneficiaries, serving and retired employees and their family members who may be required to be referred to these hospitals.

Once a hospital has been recognized by any unit of the railways, it shall be empaneled for the whole of Indian Railway. Every unit shall be uploading the list of hospitals empaneled by it on a website, where anybody can go for treatment.

The zones were delegated powers to empanel the ESI recognised hospitals located within their jurisdiction, apart from CGHS hospitals.

At least one hospital should be empaneled in every district. There may be situations where a government or autonomous institute run hospitals is having its own rates different from those of CGHS.

In such situations, if the hospital is not ready to provide service at CGHS rates, then the hospital rates may be followed.