The Voluntary Health Services (VHS), a registered non-profit society, was founded in July 1958, in Chennai (Madras), India, by the late Dr. K.S. Sanjivi, a renowned physician, a respected teacher and a visionary. Its basic concepts are the prevention and cure of serious illnesses, and the fostering of the family as a unit for medical care, with a family insurance scheme that is income-based. Among VHS's other objectives are community participation in its endeavours, medical education and medical research, and fieldwork in the organisation of medical care and health education.
Medical Aid Plan
The Medical Aid Plan formulated by Dr. K.S. Sanjivi, the founder of VHS, is being implemented by VHS for the benefit of the general public, mainly for the lower and middle income groups of the community. It covers the family as a unit of health care and focuses on community participation, the annual subscription being based on the income of the head of the family.
Family Membership
The family membership scheme covers the head of the family and his dependants. A membership card is issued on payment of the subscription, valid for one year from the date of enrolment. It has to be renewed every year.
Individual Membership
Those who do not opt for family membership can be treated as individual members.
Members with a monthly income below Rs.750/- are given free treatment, while, for higher income groups, charges are levied in a graded manner.
Health Programme
In addition to curative care, each member is entitled to a free medical check-up on enrolment and once a year thereafter, on the subscription being maintained.
A special feature of the scheme is that it is the service provider, namely, the VHS hospital itself, who is implementing it, and there is no third party involved. Further, as VHS has almost all the specialities, with a wide range of investigative facilities and a 24-hour Blood Bank, Intensive Care Unit, etc., the members get all their benefits under a single roof.