Six new ECHS empanelled hospitals have been approved, giving ECHS beneficiaries additional cashless treatment options across five Indian states and, notably, one facility in Nepal. The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence, issued the approval on 2 June 2026, following recommendations from the Screening Committee on applications received through the ECHS online empanelment portal.
The Six Newly Empanelled Hospitals
| S. No. | District/City | Hospital Name | Annexure |
|---|---|---|---|
| (i) | Agra | K.P. Institute of Medical Sciences | Annexure I |
| (ii) | Kolhapur | Ainapure Eye Hospital | Annexure II |
| (iii) | Ahmednagar | Sai Mauli Super Speciality Hospital | Annexure III |
| (iv) | Asansol | Asansol Healthworld Pvt. Ltd | Annexure IV |
| (v) | Chitwan, Nepal | Bharatpur Central Hospital Pvt. Ltd | Annexure V |
| (vi) | Ernakulam | Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital Ltd | Annexure VI |
Each hospital's specific empanelment terms, rate schedules, and departmental coverage are detailed in its individual annexure, which your local ECHS Polyclinic or the hospital itself can provide.
The Legal and Administrative Basis
This approval traces back through several earlier Ministry of Defence letters that established the empanelment framework:
- Letter No. 22B(04)/2010/US(WE)/D(Res), dated 18 February 2011
- Letter No. 22B(02)/2013/US(WE)/D(Res), dated 24 February 2015
- Letter No. 22B(02)/2020/US(WE)/D(Res-I), dated 30 June 2020
These six hospitals applied through the ECHS online empanelment portal, and their applications went through Screening Committee review before receiving final approval in this letter (No. 22B(22)/2025/WE/D(Res-I), dated 2 June 2026).
A Notable Addition: Empanelment in Nepal
The inclusion of Bharatpur Central Hospital Pvt. Ltd in Chitwan, Nepal stands out from the rest of this list — it's not a typical Indian-city empanelment. If you're an ECHS beneficiary based in or travelling through Nepal, this gives you a genuine cashless treatment option there, rather than having to route through India-based facilities or pay out of pocket and claim reimbursement later. Given how uncommon international empanelment is for ECHS, this is worth flagging specifically to beneficiaries with any connection to that region.
How Rates and Terms Are Regulated
The letter is specific that all terms and conditions for these empanelled hospitals — including the rates payable — are governed by a separate Ministry of Defence letter, No. 22(16)/2025/WE/D(Res-I), dated 5 December 2025, as amended from time to time. This means the rate schedule isn't static; if you're planning treatment at any of these six hospitals, confirm current rates with the ECHS Polyclinic or the hospital's ECHS desk rather than relying on figures that might have since been revised.
The NABH Accreditation Condition
This is an important detail for the long-term validity of these empanelments: NABH accredited medical facilities remain empanelled with ECHS only for the validity period of their NABH certificate. Once that certificate needs revalidation or renewal, the hospital's Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with ECHS is renewed only after the medical facility secures its revalidated or renewed NABH certificate.
Practically, this means empanelment status isn't guaranteed to be permanent — it's tied to the hospital maintaining its accreditation. If you're relying on one of these hospitals for ongoing or planned treatment, it's reasonable to periodically confirm their empanelment is still active, particularly for anything scheduled well in advance.
Who Signed and Where This Was Sent
The letter is signed by M.K. Rai, Deputy Secretary (WE), and addressed to the Managing Director, Central Organisation, ECHS, at Thimayya Marg, Delhi Cantt. Copies were marked to the Senior PPS to Secretary (ESW), PPS to JS (ESW), CGDA New Delhi, the Director of CGHS New Delhi, and the concerned PCDA/CDA offices — the standard distribution list for an order of this kind, ensuring both the ECHS administrative chain and the financial/audit side are informed.
What This Means for ECHS Beneficiaries
- If you're based near Agra, Kolhapur, Ahmednagar, Asansol, or Ernakulam, you now have an additional empanelled facility option in your area for cashless treatment
- If you have any connection to Chitwan, Nepal, the addition of Bharatpur Central Hospital is a genuinely useful, uncommon benefit
- Cashless treatment at any of these hospitals still requires the standard ECHS referral process for planned treatment — this empanelment approval doesn't change the referral requirement itself
- Confirm current rates and specific department coverage directly with the hospital or your Polyclinic, since rates are governed by a separate, periodically amended order
If you're not clear on how the ECHS referral process works before visiting any empanelled hospital, our guide on getting referred to a civil hospital from ECHS walks through the full process, validity periods, and common mistakes. For the broader empanelled hospital list, our ECHS empanelled hospitals finder is worth bookmarking, and our ECHS scheme guide covers eligibility and benefits more broadly.
For more ECHS and defence welfare updates like this, follow our government news section.