The Centre has accorded in-principle approval for setting up three new Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospitals in Punjab at Lalru, Rajpura and Malerkotla, a move aimed at strengthening healthcare services for insured workers and their families across the state.
Punjab currently has around 11.73 lakh workers covered under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme, with the total number of beneficiaries, including their dependants, exceeding 53.75 lakh.
The information was shared in Parliament on Monday by Union minister of state for labour and employment Shobha Karandlaje while replying to a question raised by Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.
The minister said medical services for ESIC beneficiaries in Punjab are currently provided through the ESIC Medical College and Hospital at Ludhiana, the ESIC Hospital at Ram Darbar in Chandigarh, six state-run ESI hospitals located in Mohali, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Mandi Gobindgarh and Phagwara, 69 state-run ESI dispensaries, and three ESIC dispensary-cum-branch offices at Rajpura, Barnala and Ferozepur.
Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) is a self-financing social security and health insurance scheme for workers in the organised sector. Administered by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) under the ministry of labour and employment, the scheme provides comprehensive benefits, including medical care, sickness and maternity benefits, disability compensation, dependent benefits in case of employment-related deaths, and other social security measures. It is financed through contributions from employers and employees, with the Centre sharing part of the medical expenditure.
To bridge gaps in specialised treatment, the government said ESIC has empanelled 139 private tertiary-care hospitals and nine government medical colleges and hospitals, enabling beneficiaries to avail cashless treatment whenever required facilities are unavailable at ESI institutions.
{{/usCountry}}To bridge gaps in specialised treatment, the government said ESIC has empanelled 139 private tertiary-care hospitals and nine government medical colleges and hospitals, enabling beneficiaries to avail cashless treatment whenever required facilities are unavailable at ESI institutions.
{{/usCountry}}Responding to concerns over shortages of doctors, paramedical staff, medicines and diagnostic facilities, the ministry said recruitment in ESIC is an ongoing process. It informed Parliament that appointment letters have recently been issued to 388 insurance medical officers (Grade II), 234 assistant professors, 1,577 nursing officers and 472 additional nursing officers. Recruitment for 1,827 paramedical posts has also been completed.
The ministry further stated that grievances and representations received from ESIC beneficiaries are addressed expeditiously in coordination with hospitals and dispensaries. It added that ESIC regularly follows up with state governments to ensure the early settlement of pending reimbursement claims for emergency treatment availed outside the ESI network.