Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has planned to modernize/ upgrade ESI hospitals across the country with the up to date and comprehensive facilities for better patient care.   These facilities inter-alia include, Operation Theatre (OT) Complex with Intensive Care Units, Labour complex with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Units, various laboratory services, Resuscitation area, state of the art   imaging services, Central sterile Supply Department (CSSD)/Theatre Sterile Supply Unit (TSSU), etc.

The ESI Corporation has given in-principle approval for setting up of 105 new hospitals in the country. ESI Corporation (ESIC), in its meeting held on 10.02.2024, has approved norms for establishment of Ayush Units in ESI hospitals and dispensaries.   Ayush units are to be established on co-location basis in those ESIC/ ESI Scheme (ESIS) hospitals & dispensaries and Dispensaries-cum-Branch Offices (DCBOs) where daily average allopathic Outdoor Patient Department (OPD) registration is more than 150 patients during preceding 12 months.  The 50 bedded ESIC Ayush hospitals are to be co-located with the existing ESI allopathic hospitals having 500 beds or more, out of which 50 beds are to be earmarked for Ayush hospital. 

In addition, ESI Corporation has taken various steps to improve the quality of medical services in ESI Hospitals, as under:

• Enhancement of sanctioned staff strength of ESIC hospitals, as per new norms.
• Enhancement of 50% of bed strength, if bed occupancy is more than 70% in ESIC/ESI Scheme (ESIS) hospitals for last three consecutive years.
• Formation of state ESI societies so that States’ have financial and administrative freedom to take decision for improvement of medical services.
• Allocation of additional budget under Project Implementation Plan (PIP) for State ESI Schemes.
• The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation provides Rs.200/- per IP per annum over and above ceiling to the state government, where the bed occupancy in all the State run ESIS hospitals is more than 70% during the previous financial year.

As regards super speciality services, the facilities like Urology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Plastic surgery, Oncology, Paediatric Surgery, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, Neurology etc. are provided by some existing ESIC hospitals. Services which are not available in-house are provided through tie-up hospitals.

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Smt. Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

*****

Himanshu Pathak