Parliament Question: ESIC Facilities in Punjab

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1280 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2026 ESIC FACILITIES IN PUNJAB †1280. SHRI SUKHJINDER SINGH RANDHAWA: Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state: (a)whether the Government is aware that the beneficiaries of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) are facing difficulties in availing timely and quality healthcare services in various States of the country, including Punjab; (b) if so, the details of the complaints received along with the action taken thereon in Punjab, district-wise; (c)whether it is a fact that the beneficiaries have to depend on private hospitals due to the shortage of specialist doctors, paramedical staff, essential medicines, modern medical equipment and diagnostic facilities in several ESIC hospitals and dispensaries in Punjab; and (d) if so, the details of the steps taken by the Government to address the said deficiencies, upgrade the ESIC hospitals and dispensaries, set up new hospitals/dispensaries and fill up the vacant posts in Punjab? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE) (a) to (d): Grievances, representations and issues raised at various fora are addressed expeditiously by the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in coordination with the concerned hospitals and dispensaries. Further, ESIC regularly follows up with the concerned State Governments for early settlement of pending reimbursement claims relating to primary and secondary medical treatment availed by ESI beneficiaries under emergency circumstances from medical institutions outside the ESI hospital and dispensary network. Contd..2/-:: 2 :: Medical care in Punjab is provided through 01 ESIC Medical College & Hospital at Ludhiana, 01 ESIC Hospital at Ramdarbar, Chandigarh, 06 ESI State Run Hospitals at Mohali, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Mandi Gobind Garg, Phagwara, 69 ESI State Run Dispensaries, 03 ESIC Dispensary cum Branch Offices at Rajpura, Barnala & Ferozepur. To strengthen healthcare services, ESIC has accorded in-principle approval for setting up three new hospitals in Punjab at Lalru, Rajpura and Malerkotla. Apart from this, ESIC has also empanelled network of 139 private tertiary care hospitals and 9 Government Medical Colleges/Hospitals. Beneficiaries are referred to empanelled hospitals on a cashless basis wherever required services are not available in ESI institutions. Recruitment of doctors, teaching faculty, nursing officers and paramedical staff in ESIC is a continuous process. Recently, appointment letters have been issued to 388 Insurance Medical Officer (IMO) Grade-II, 234 Assistant Professors, 1,577 Nursing Officers and 472 Nursing Officers. Further recruitment against 1,827 paramedical posts has also been completed. *****