EMPLOYEES
STATE INSURANCE CORPORATION TAKES OVER TWO HOSPITALS FOR CONVERSION
INTO MODEL HOSPITALS
The Employees State Insurance Corporation,
ESIC, has taken over State run ESI hospitals at Hyderabad and
Jaipur for their conversion into model hospitals under the scheme.
About a dozen hospitals are earmarked for take over by the Corporation
over the next few months. Addressing the 123rd Meeting
of the Corporation here today, the Labour Minister and Chairman
of the ESIC Dr. Sahib Singh said that about Rs.100 crores have
been earmarked for setting up of one model hospital in each state.
The Labour Minister called for immediate improvements in medical
services by the concerned State Governments in order to enhance
the usefulness of the scheme at the grassroots level. He said
that proposals of the State Governments in this connection would
be cleared within one month. He said that decision on the pending
proposals would be taken by October 31, 2000. Dr. Sahib Singh
expressed his deep concern over the loss of social security cover
under the ESI scheme by a large segment of workers who have been
either rendered jobless due to introduction of voluntary retirement
schemes or have crossed the present wage ceiling of Rs.6500. for
coverage under the scheme. The Minister said that ways and means
should be worked out to bring down the threshold for coverage
under the scheme so that social security cover could be extended
to a larger segment of worker population. He also said that methodologies
could be worked out for extension of social protection to workers
in the unorganised sector. Workers in the seasonal factories and
establishments should also be entitled to meaningful and need
based packages of social security to safeguard their interest,
the Minister said.
Speaking on the occasion Minister
of State for Labour and Vice Chairman of the Corporation Shri
Ashok Pradhan, emphasised that full potential and inherent strengths
of the Corporation and the ESI scheme should be fully exploited
for the development of an environment of social security for a
larger number of worker population. He said that as of now only
8% of the country’s population are protected under various social
security schemes whereas 92% of the work force is left to fend
for themselves in times of economic or physical distress.
As on date the ESI Scheme stands
implemented at about 700 centres in the country and covers about
84 lakhs insured persons. The health care facilities are provided
through country wide net work of 180 ESI hospitals and annexes
and 5000 smaller service outlets such as ESI dispensaries and
panel clinics etc.
The Labour Minister Dr. Sahib Singh
on this occasion also released ‘Citizens Charter’ on the ESI Scheme.
