Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav chaired the 190^th Meeting of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) today at Chandigarh. Minister of State for Labour& Employment, Petroleum &Natural Gas, Shri RameswarTeli also attended the meeting. At the 190th Meeting of ESI Corporation, Shri Yadav announced several decisions on ensuring strengthening social security for  Shram Jeevis, furthering Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision.

Considering the increase in the number of workers, ESI Corporation, during the meeting, approved the proposals for setting up of 100 bedded Hospitals at Belagavi (Karnataka), Shamshabad (Telangana), Baramati (Maharashtra), Kishangarh, Ajmer (Rajasthan) and Balasore (Odisha), 30 bedded ESI Hospital at Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) and 350 bedded ESI Hospital at Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh).

In addition to these, it was also decided to upgrade the newly approved 30 bedded ESIC Hospital at Rangpo, Sikkim to 100 bedded and to take over the ESIS Hospital, Gunadala, Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) and Maithan, Ranchi (Jharkhand) from the State Governments. The newly taken over hospitals will be directly run by ESIC to provide better medical care and facilities to workers and their family members.

Keeping in view the sparsely populated north-eastern region, acute shortage of private hospitals/dispensaries/nursing homes etc. and financial position of ESI Scheme in North Eastern States, ESIC decided to continue providing financial support to North Eastern States & Sikkim in running the ESI Scheme. The entire expenditure up to the ceiling will be borne by ESI Corporation for North Eastern States (Except Assam) w.e.f. financial year 2023-24.

Further, Additional Financial Assistance under which Rs. 40 Lakh per dispensary (Rs. 10 Lakh quarterly) is provided to State Government, will also be started. It would be an additional benefit apart from regular fund allocation under Standard Medical Care. This shall also remain available for the new dispensaries, if they are opened as per the extant instructions.

In order to provide relief to Insured Workers who became unemployed during the Covid-19 pandemic, ESI Corporation in the meeting agreed to the proposal of extending the benefits available under Atal BeemitVyaktikalyan Yojana for two more years. Atal BeemitVyakti Kalyan

Yojana (ABVKY) is a welfare measure in the form of cash compensation up to 90 days once in lifetime of the worker in the contingency unemployment.

Foreseeing the considerable increase in the number of Insured Workers and their dependents coming under the ambit of ESI Scheme after the implementation of Social Security Code – 2020, Shri Bhupender Yadav directed ESIC to lay emphasis on strengthening and expanding the medical services infrastructure by adopting multipronged strategies for providing primary medical care to the IPs and their beneficiaries.

ESIC also approved the proposal for extension of medical care facilities to general public free of cost in ESIC Hospital and Medical College, Alwar (Rajasthan) and Bihta (Bihar) till 31.03.2024. Facilities of drugs/dressings and consumables under ESIC will also be provided free of cost to them.  It will benefit lakhs of general public in the adjoining areas for availing hassle-free quality medical care free of cost.

Besides these, Revised Estimates for the year 2022-23, Budget Estimates for the year 2023-24 and Performance Budget for the year 2023-24 of ESI Corporation were deliberated upon and approved along with other agenda items.

In a separate meeting with the Zonal Medical Commissioners, Medical Commissioners, Insurance Commissioners and Regional Directors of ESIC under the chairpersonship of the Union Labour Minister, issues such as reforms in the referral system, optimal utilisation of resources in health care facilities, reaching the unreached (unorganised sector workers) and occupational diseases were deliberated and action points identified.

The meeting was attended by Ms. Dola Sen, MP, Shri KhagenMurmu, MP, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms. Arti Ahuja, and Director General, ESIC, Dr. Rajendra Kumar. Principal Secretaries/Secretaries of the State Governments, Representatives of Employers, Employees and Experts of the medical field were also present during the meeting.

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MJPS/SSV