Amid ailing economy, govt decides to bear babus' medical treatment expenses abroad

However, a screening committee will decide on recommending cases for treatment abroad.

Bureaucrats and their dependent family members can now get complex medical treatment abroad at state expense and also get their airfare reimbursed under government's new rules that comes at a time when it is facing flak over the ailing economy.

Indian bureaucracy worst in Asia: survey

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 maybe, to claim reimbursement of the cost of medical treatment obtained inside or outside India," they said.

Earlier, reimbursement of cost of medical treatment incurred abroad by All India Services officer was disallowed.

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, the rules said.

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

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.

As many as 4,737 IAS officers, 3,637 IPS officers and 2,700 IFoS personnel are working across the country.

The Centre has also decided to allow airlifting of an officer outside the state in case of an emergency on the basis of the recommendation of a doctor from the government or from a recognised private hospital.