Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on October 5 extended the government’s cashless healthcare facility to pensioners of the Delhi Jal Board and their families. More than 50,000 DJB pensioners and their dependents will now be able to get treatment at empanelled hospitals without paying upfront.

The scheme covers a wide range of treatments and surgeries at private hospitals tied up with the government. Pensioners only need to show their health cards at the hospital counter, and the bills are settled directly by the government. The move was announced as part of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan outreach programme.

Gupta said the government is committed to the welfare of retired employees who served the capital’s water utility for decades. Officials said the extension will ease the financial burden of medical care on elderly pensioners. The health department has been asked to ensure smooth enrolment and to resolve any issues at empanelled hospitals quickly.