Inadequate infrastructure mars ESI hospitals

Neena Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 26

An inadequate number of dispensaries and medical staff, employees working in the industrial units and private firms in Uttarakhand are deprived of medical facilities under the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

There are 22 dispensaries in the state being manned by 30 doctors against the minimum strength of 65 doctors. Out them, five are women doctors.

“Employees working in the state are deprived of rightful medical facilities due to absence of dispensaries and manpower. The amount being paid by the employer and the employee is being underutilised due to these gaps in infrastructure and manpower,” said Pankaj Gupta, president of the Industries Association of Uttarakhand.

Further, there are no double shift dispensaries in the state and some of these require upgrade to 10-bed hospitals. During his visit to the state last year, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya had said the ESI dispensaries in the state would be upgraded to 10-bedded hospitals, but the work has not started so far.

Former Labour Minister Durgapal said the construction of hospitals was pending in the state at several places. “The Centre did not release money for the construction of ESI hospitals where the proposal has been approved. A hospital each is to be constructed at Tarla Nagal in Dehradun, SIIDCUL Haridwar, Rudrapur and the ESI branch office and the ESI dispensary at Selaqui, Dehradun,” he said.

The Centre had also promised the construction of 50-bed ESI hospital at Kashipur, he said.

At the same time, the former Harish Rawat government has also sought the opening up of dispensaries at Bhagwanpur, Roorkee, Laksar, Jhabreda and at all district headquarters.

Significantly, a medical ambulance for Dehraradun was sanctioned but it had been stationary for almost one year for want of driver, staff and registration number.

“The dispensaries and a mobile van would help to enhance the outreach of medical facility to remote areas,” said Pankaj Gupta.

As of now there are 3,75,810 insured persons registered with the ESIC in the state.

State of neglect

There are 22 dispensaries in the state being manned by 30 doctors against the minimum strength of 65 doctors. Out them, five are women doctors.

There are no double shift dispensaries in the state and some of these require upgrade to 10-bed hospitals.