Haridwar: A historic agreement has been signed between the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare and Patanjali Yogpeeth, which will now allow free treatment for 60 lakh ex-servicemen and their families at Patanjali's healthcare facilities.
Swami Ramdev & Major General M.P.S. Gill |
Under this MoU, there will be no cost cap on treatments for ex-servicemen and their family members using yoga, Ayurveda and naturopathy treatment at Patanjali.
They will receive completely free treatment, benefitting approximately 6 million (60 lakh) ex-soldiers and their families. The MoU signing ceremony took place at the Mini Auditorium of Patanjali University, in the presence of Major General M.P.S. Gill, recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal and GOC of Uttarakhand Sub-Area, and Swami Ramdev, co-founder of Patanjali Yogpeeth.
After signing the MoU, documents were exchanged. Swami Ramdev said, “Saints and Soldiers Both Serve the Nation” Addressing the event, Swami Ramdev said that saints and soldiers both serve the nation in their own ways. He expressed his gratitude towards the Indian Army for giving Patanjali the opportunity to serve the nation’s heroes.
Swami Ramdev breaking coconut |
He also requested Major General Gill to extend this agreement to currently serving soldiers as well. General Gill responded positively, saying that efforts will be made in this direction soon.
Swami Ramdev further stated that apart from a few countries, Patanjali is the only institution in the world that admits over 3,000 patients at a time, and plans are underway to increase this capacity to 5,000.
He added that Patanjali is also planning to soon start surgeries under modern medicine, integrating traditional systems with allopathy. He claimed that yoga and Ayurveda have successfully treated critical illnesses like cancer, blood pressure, spinal issues, diabetes, heart blockages, and more, thousands of documented cases exist at Patanjali.
“Yoga and Ayurveda strengthen the body, while naturopathy purifies it,” he added.
Major General Gill said, “60 Lakh Veterans to Benefit Directly” Major General M.P.S. Gill, the chief guest, praised the MoU and acknowledged that it took time to come into effect but said that the army is now actively working to connect current servicemen to Patanjali’s treatment systems.
He emphasised that 60 lakh ex-servicemen would directly benefit from this initiative. He praised Swami Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna for their significant contributions and called Patanjali Yogpeeth a major achievement, offering integrated medical treatment combining yoga, Ayurveda, naturopathy, and allopathy.He likened this integration to “the two tracks of a train running together.”
Acharya Balkrishna General Secretary of Patanjali Yogpeeth, said “Patanjali Believes in Innovation and under the guidance of Swami Ramdev, the organisation has always believed in innovation and is doing unprecedented work in yoga, Ayurveda, and naturopathy.
Acharya Balkrishna General Secretary of Patanjali Yogpeeth speaking |
He referred to Swami Ramdev as the “unofficial spokesperson of the armed forces” because of his deep respect for the nation. He further stated that Ayurveda is not just traditional medicine, but a way of life, incorporated into daily meals through ingredients like turmeric, hing (asafoetida), and cumin.
Acharya Balkrishna also announced the distribution of free “Patanjali Swadeshi Samriddhi Cards” to all ex-servicemen, which include accident insurance coverage of ₹10 lakh.
The MoU was signed by Colonel Jitendra Kumar, Regional Director of ECHS Dehradun, and Swami Aryadeva Ji, Head of Services at Patanjali Yoggram.
Colonel Kumar stated that this is the first-ever MoU between ECHS and Patanjali, addressing the long-standing demand of ex-servicemen for treatment under AYUSH systems.
Audiance |
The event was coordinated by Dr. Sangeeta Singh. Also present were: VSM GOC Uttarakhand Sub-Area Brigadier Parikshit Singh, Commandant, Military Hospital Dehradun Brigadier G.S. Bhatia, Commandant, Military Hospital Roorkee Brigadier K.P. Singh, Commandant, BEG & Centre Roorkee Colonel M.S. Bisht, Director, ECHS Uttarakhand Sub-Area Colonel Satpal Ahlawat, Director, ECHS Polyclinic Roorkee Commander Upendra Singh Cheema, Indian Navy, Director, ECHS Polyclinic Raiwala.
From Patanjali, notable attendees included Sadhvi Devpriya, Anshul Behan, Parul Behan, Brigadier T.C. Malhotra, Rakesh Kumar, and department heads, service coordinators, and students of Patanjali University.
