STATEMENT OF CASE FOR GRANT OF HOSPITAL PATIENT CARE

ALLOWANCE (HPCA/PATIENT CARE ALLOWANCE (PCAI TO CARPENTER,

INTRODUCTION

1. Command hospital (SC) Pune is a 1082 beded Command hospital

2. The concept of Hospital Patient Care Allowance to civ emps was brought
in practice wef 08 Nov 1995. Introduced of HPCA vide Govt of India (MoD), New
Delhi letter 32152/Career/DGMS-3(B/3166/95/D (Med) di 08 Nov 1995 Appx
A', Hospital Patient’s Care Allowances was sanctioned to Group C & 'D (Non-
ministerial) civ employees in AMC units @ Rs 80 per mnth & 75 per mnth
respectively and Ministry of Defence issued corrigendum No 1568/97/D (Med)
dt 20 Jun 1997 (Annexure-1) in which 21 categories of Group C and D who
were entitled for Hospital Patient Care Allowances. As per Govt of India, Min of
Defence OM No 7(1)/2000/D (Med) dt 17 Nov 2005 (Annexure-2), only six
categories (ie Safaiwala, Safaiwali, Ward Sahayika, Barber, Washerman &
Cook) are eligible for grant of HPCA Subsequently, grant of HPCA for
Carpenter, Painter, Tailor, Mali, Mazdoor (T/Mate) & Chowkidar have been
withdrawn wef 17 Nov 2005, The rate of HPCA was enhanced accordingly as
per Govt rules. At present the rate of HPCA is Rs. 4100/- (Pay level 1 to 8) per
month for eligible employees only working in the hospital.

3. Approx 1200-1300 patients and their relatives are visiting this hospital
every day. Some of the wards and depts of this hospital are functioning in old
vintage bldgs which are more than 100 years old and even vintage of some of
them dates back to colonial era. The Carpenter, Painter and T/Mate trade are
auth for hospital equipment’s maintenance services in the Command Hospital.
The existing items are being used in the patient care areas Le. joinery, curtain
rail, doors, windows, furniture, dining table, chairs, bed, stand, wood step
case, bed side table, almirahs etc & equipment’s have been out lived their life
due to prolong used. Painting hosp equipment’s marking and writing works on
almirahs, numbering beds in various wards, writing medicine names on
containers, writing sign boards, painting touch-ups for beds, table, bed side
locker and any kind of painting and writing works as per required at patient
care areas done by painter/carpenter as per These items & eqpts are repaired,
make, replacement of eqpt parts & any kind of work related to patient comforts
& care done by carpenter/Painter trade.
Carpenter, Painter and T/Mate are working in the hospital closely with
patients, daily needs of comforts are providing to patients care, who is regular
working of duties involve continuous and routine contact with patients infected
with communicable diseases & infected material, instruments and eqpts in the
various wards & depts of this hospital. It is causing spread infection to emp as
their primary duty. The various items & eqpts are used for patient comforts
and involved routine contact with hospitalized patients as well as out patients.
Therefore; grant of hospital patient care allowance to Carpenter, Painter and
T/Mate Gp 'C' (Non-Ministerial) civ emp working in Command Hospital may
please be consider as a requisite requirement.

PROPOSAL

4. It is proposed for grant of Hospital Patient Care Allowances to Carpenter,

JUSTIFICATION

5. Eligibility for grant of HPCA tor civ emps and rates applicable have been
changed under the direction of Govt of India, Min of Defence OM No-
7(1/2000/D (Med) dt 17 Nov 2005 (Annexure-2). As per Appx of said office
memorandum, only six categories (i.e. Safaiwala Safaiwali, Ward Sahayika,
Barber, Washerman & Cook) are eligible for grant of HPCA Subsequently grant
of HPCA for Carpenter, Painter, Tailor, Mali, Mazdoor (T/Mate) & Chowkidar
have been withdrawn wef 17 Nov 2005. The Carpenter, Painter and T/Mate
trade are auth for hospital equipment’s maintenance services in this hospital.
The existing joinery, doors, window, furniture, dining table, chairs, bed, bed
side table, almirah items & equipment’s are being used by patients have been
out lived their life due to prolong used. These items & egpts are repaired, make,
fitting, fixtures, replacement of eqpts part & any kind of work related to
patients care done by the carpenter trade. The Carpenter, Painter and T/Mate
works repair, replacement, maintain, replacement, fitting of eqpt parts at
patient care area of various wards & depts. T/Mate trade is auth for hospital
equipment’s maintenance services in the Command Hospital. The T/Mate work
involved with the patients’ medical/ non-medical materials, equipment and
collection and distribution of patients Ration, Patient clothing, Dress,pillows,
blankets, bed sheets maintain of these material of daily needs for comforts to
patients and duties of hygiene and chemical spray in the all wards and depts
incl COVID wards. All the infected unserviceable equipment/instruments of
patients in wards departments laboratory and operation theatre including
patient eating, tray, glass, spoon, iron bed and mattress of patients which have
been infected and declared unserviceable for the further use of patients by
board to be Collected and deposited by T/Mate in the concerned ordinance
depots and any kind of work related to patient comforts & care done in the
hospital closely with patients and daily needs of comforts are providing to
patients care.

6. HPCA is a risk allowance since the nature of their duty renders them
vulnerable and Susceptible to debilitating and life threatening communicable
diseases. Eligibility is drawn from the fact that this trade of person who is at a
high risk of contracting hospital related infections acquired directly from
patients and through infected instruments & eqpts hazards and they also pose
additional risk of transmitting the infections to their family members also. The
paramount factor to decide grant of HPCA is the nature of work and the
environment of work Those who an infections environment loaded with virulent
and drug resistant bacteria’s and organisms would be a befitting and eligible
category for receiving the grant of HPCA. This is not a case that the virus or
bacteria would choose to affect eligible categories and not eligible categories.
Infection is in the environment of work and not restrited to class of employees.
Duties involving continuous and routine contact with patients infected with
communicable diseases or those who have to routinely handle, as their primary
duty, infected materials, instruments and equipment’s which can spread
infection as their primary duty are to be considered for grant of HPCA. Earlier
the HPCA was payable to emp working in the Command Hospital. To now say
that the re-categorizing of emps will remove the risk of infections and
entitlement to HPCA, appears to be an illogical argument. Infected room,
infected materials, instruments and equipment do not choose whom they will
infect. Their risk lies with all those who are exposed, but not removed the indis'
risk of infection by a magic wand, which existed in the past and still exists in
the hospital environment.
 SUMMARY

7. The Carpenter, Painter and T/Mate trade are auth for hospital
equipment’s maintenance services in the hospital. The comforts needs of
patient are being provided with the help of this trade. The said trade work will
upgrade the condition of the patient care area and make it suitable for better
patient care & achieving the highest level of hygiene conditions. Hence, grant of
hospital patient care allowance to Carpenter, Painter and T/Mate Gp 'C' (Non-
Ministerial) civ emp working in Military Hospital (AMC) is an essential reqmt
and sanction of the competent authority may please be accorded on priority.