97 new ESI hospitals approved in last decade in India: Centre

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved the set up for 97 new ESI hospitals across the country in the last ten years, said Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje on Monday.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha today, Karandlaje also informed that ESIC also set up new ESI hospitals and dispensaries across the country.

ESIC provides comprehensive medical care in the form of medical attendance, treatment, drugs and dressings, specialist consultation, and hospitalisation to Insured Persons and their families through a network of 165 ESI hospitals and 1,590 dispensaries across the country.

In addition, “tie-up arrangements have been made with public/private hospitals for providing cashless in-patient medical services to ESI beneficiaries”. This can be availed in case, ESI hospital or in-house medical services in a particular hospital are unavailable, the MoS said.

Karandlaje also informed of major steps taken by the ESIC to upgrade and improve the facilities provided to its beneficiaries, such as the collaboration with Ayushmaan Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY).

“This will provide secondary and tertiary care medical services to ESI beneficiaries through PMJAY empanelled hospitals in the country at places where ESI medical services are not adequately available,” the MoS said.

She informed me that the rates of benefits have also been enhanced for beneficiaries of permanent disablement benefits (PDB) and dependents’ benefits (DB) schemes.

Further, a new scheme has been approved to cater medical care [including Super Specialty Treatment (SST)] for superannuated beneficiaries who have contributed to ESIC but went out of coverage before superannuation.

The ESIC has also launched an online module to help update or edit the particulars of insured persons (IPs) and their family details.

“Aadhar-based authentication of insured persons and their family members on a voluntary basis has been adopted for providing social security benefits, including medical and cash benefits to beneficiaries,” Karandlaje said.

In addition, an online portal/facility has also been started for the submission of cash benefit claims under the ESI scheme. This will provide hassle-free services to insured persons, and women, Karandlaje said.