4 ESI hospitals to have superspeciality facilities

New Delhi, Dec 4: Four ESI Hospital in each zone -- North, South, East and West -- will have the superspeciality facilities for the benefit of the ESI members in the country, Minister of State for Labour Chandrasekhar Sahu today said.

Answering supplementaries in the Lok Sabha, Mr Sahu said that ESI Corporation had introduced the scheme of Revolving Fund for providing advance, reimbursement for super speciality/speciality treatment, purchase of drugs and dressings and repair and maintenance of equipments.

In addition, tie-up arrangements had been made with other reputed government and non-government hospitals for providing super speciality/speciality services which were not available in ESI hospitals.

He said the ESI corporation had formulated various schemes to improve the condition of the ESI hospitals, including modernisation and upgradation by providing modern equipments for diagonostic and clinical services. Senior State Medical Commissioners had been delegated powers to facilitate early sanction of equipment for hospitals, upto Rs 15 lakhs per unit, at the state level itself.

Besides the ESI Corporation had increased the ceiling for providing medical care from Rs 750 to Rs 900 per Insured Person family unit per annum with effect from April 1, 2005 to facilitate state governments with more funds to improve medical services in ESI hospitals.

The Minister assured all financial help to the State Governments for further improving the condition of ESI hospitals. But State Governments which were primarily responsible for running these hospitals, must send their proposals to his ministry, he noted.

UNI