Immediate Intervention Sought – Hardship Caused by Shift from NIC to CDAC HMIS in CGHS Operations

 No  BPS/SG/CGHS/  025/10                                                                           Date: 4 May 2025

To

Shri J. P. Nadda,

Hon’ble Minister for Health & Family Welfare,

Government of India,

The Secretary,

 Government of India,M/O Health & Family Welfare

Subject: Immediate Intervention Sought – Hardship Caused by Shift from NIC to CDAC HMIS in CGHS Operations

Respected Sir,

On behalf of Bharat Pensioners Samaj (BPS)—the largest and oldest federation representing Central Government Pensioners and their families—we write to express our deep concern and seek your urgent intervention on a matter affecting lakhs of senior citizens and CGHS staff alike.

The shift of CGHS operations from NIC platform to the untested CDAC HMIS system has resulted in widespread disruption. This transition, without adequate trial, preparedness, or user training, has paralyzed functioning at many CGHS Wellness Centres across the country.

We wish to highlight the following critical issues:

1. Service Paralysis: Beneficiaries, especially aged pensioners, are facing inordinate delays in accessing medicines, diagnostic services, and referral facilities due to software instability.

2. Lack of Training: CGHS staff have not been adequately trained to use the new system, resulting in errors in beneficiary data, billing delays, and claim rejections.

3. Financial & Emotional Distress: Many pensioners are being compelled to pay out-of-pocket for healthcare needs, as claim processing and authorization through CDAC HMIS is either delayed or dysfunctional.

4. Cybersecurity Concerns: It has also been brought to our notice that the new system lacks proven resilience against cyber threats, raising serious concerns over the privacy and security of sensitive health data.

Given the fragile health and limited mobility of elderly pensioners, this situation has become not only inconvenient but in many cases medically hazardous.

We therefore humbly request the following immediate remedial steps:

Revert to the NIC platform temporarily until CDAC HMIS is fully stabilized and proven to be functionally sound and secure.

· Conduct a comprehensive audit and vulnerability assessment of CDAC HMIS before full-scale rollout.

· Initiate accountability measures for the disruption caused and identify the lapses in planning and execution.

· Provide structured training programs for CGHS staff to ensure smooth transition and minimize service disruption.

We trust that as a seasoned leader with long-standing commitment to public health, you will appreciate the gravity of the issue and take swift corrective action. We request a formal response indicating the measures being initiated to alleviate the hardships faced by CGHS beneficiaries and staff.

With hope and regards,

Yours faithfully,

S.C. Maheshwari

Secretary General

Bharat Pensioners Samaj (BPS)