Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Labour and Employment addresses measures to upgrade ESI hospitals, enhance healthcare access for workers, and simplify medical care access for ESI cardholders. These efforts include infrastructural development, collaboration with Ayushmaan Bharat-PMJAY, benefit rate enhancements, Aadhar authentication, and online claim submissions. Ongoing recruitment aims to ensure adequate staffing in ESI hospitals. The information provided responds to questions raised in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4001, answered on August 18, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **ESI Hospital Upgradation and Expansion:**
* Continuous efforts to develop in-house specialty and super-specialty services.
* Incorporation of modern technologies in ESI hospitals.
* Enhancement of bed strength.
* Procurement of advanced medical equipment.
* Establishment of Intensive Care Units (ICU) and High Dependency Units (HDU).
* Building of new hospitals.
* Use of unused land for hospital infrastructure expansion.
* Upgradation of user-friendly app for OPD appointments to streamline registration and reduce waiting times.
* **Simplified Access to Medical Care:**
* Collaboration with Ayushmaan Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY) to provide secondary and tertiary care in PMJAY-empanelled hospitals where ESI services are inadequate.
* Enhancement of benefit rates for Permanent Disablement Benefit (PDB) and Dependents Benefits (DB).
* Aadhar-based authentication for Insured Persons (IPs) and their families for social security benefits.
* Online portal for submission of cash benefit claims under the ESI scheme.
* **Staffing and Facilities:**
* Continuous recruitment of doctors and staff in ESI hospitals.
* Offer of appointment issued to 1323 candidates for various medical positions.
* Recruitment of 2458 Nursing Officers.
* Steps to fill 832 Nursing Officer vacancies, 243 Assistant Professor vacancies, and 11 Dean vacancies.
* Authorization for Deans/Medical Superintendents to hire contractual specialists, teaching faculty, and nursing/paramedical staff.
Impact Analysis:
* **ESI Beneficiaries (Insured Persons and their Families):**
* *Impact:* Improved access to quality medical services, reduced dependence on private hospitals, simplified claim processes, and enhanced benefits.
* *Action Required:* Utilize upgraded app for OPD appointments, use Aadhar authentication, and submit claims through the online portal.
* **Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC):**
* *Impact:* Responsibility for implementing hospital upgrades, managing collaborations with PMJAY, overseeing recruitment, and maintaining service quality.
* *Action Required:* Continue efforts to upgrade hospitals, manage PMJAY collaboration, fill staff vacancies, and ensure service quality.
* **ESI Hospital Staff (Doctors, Nurses, and other Medical Professionals):**
* *Impact:* Potential for increased workload due to expanded services, opportunities for professional development through advanced training and equipment, and potential for contractual positions.
* *Action Required:* Adapt to new technologies and procedures, participate in training programs, and fulfill duties to provide quality care.
Key Entities Referenced
Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC): A statutory body providing social security and health insurance to Indian workers.
ESI hospitals: Hospitals operated under the Employees' State Insurance Scheme to provide healthcare to insured workers and their families.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India where the utilization of unused land adjoining ESI hospital buildings for infrastructural development is specifically mentioned.
Ayushmaan Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY): A national public health insurance scheme in India, collaborating with ESIC to provide secondary and tertiary care medical services.
Insurance Medical Officer (IMO): A medical professional cadre within the ESIC system, responsible for providing medical care to insured persons.
Permanent Disablement Benefit (PDB): A benefit provided under the ESI scheme to insured persons who suffer permanent disablement due to employment-related injury or illness.
Dependents Benefits (DB): Benefits provided under the ESI scheme to the dependents of insured persons who die due to employment-related injury or illness.
LOK SABHA: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the unstarred question regarding ESI hospitals was raised.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4001
TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025
UPGRADATION OF ESI HOSPITALS
4001. SHRI Y S AVINASH REDDY:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to
state:
(a)whether the Government has any plans to upgrade ESI hospitals
into multi-speciality facilities to reduce dependence on private
empanelled hospitals and enhance healthcare access for the
workers and if so, the details thereof;
(b)the manner in which the Government plans to utilise unused land
adjoining ESI hospital buildings for infrastructural development in
the country, State/UT-wise, particularly in Andhra Pradesh;
(c)the details of the measures taken by the Government to ensure
adequate qualified staff and state-of-the-art facilities in ESI
hospitals for specialised care;
(d)the manner in which the Government plans to ease the burden on
general hospitals by expanding ESI hospital services and
capacities; and
(e)the details of the steps taken by the Government to simplify the
process of accessing medical care for ESI cardholders?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (e): In order to provide good quality medical services to its
beneficiaries, Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is
continuously making efforts to develop in - house specialty and super-
specialty services by incorporating modern technologies in ESI
hospitals itself. Some of the measures taken are: enhancement of bed
strength, procurement of advanced medical equipment, establishing
the intensive care unit (ICU) / high dependency unit (HDU) facilities
as per ESIC guidelines, establishing new hospitals, use of unused
land for upgradation and expansion of hospital infrastructure as per
needs and demands, upgradation of user-friendly app for OPD
appointments in order to streamline registration, reduce waiting time
and enhance patient convenience etc.
contd..2/-::2::
The major steps taken by ESIC to simplify the access of
medical care for ESI card holders are as under:
i) Collaboration with Ayushmaan Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojna (PMJAY) to 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.
ii) Enhancement of rates of benefits for Permanent Disablement
Benefit (PDB) / Dependents’ Benefits (DB) Beneficiaries.
iii) Aadhar based authentication of Insured Persons & their family
members on voluntary basis has been adopted for providing social
security benefits, including medical and cash benefits to
beneficiaries.
iv) For providing hassle - free services to Insured Persons (IPs) /
Insured Women (IW), an online portal / facility has been started for
submission of cash benefits claims under ESI scheme.
Recruitment of doctors and staff in ESI hospitals is a
continuous process. ESIC has recently issued offer of appointment to
1323 candidates, selected for the post of Insurance Medical Officer
(IMO) Grade II, Specialist Gr II (Senior Scale / Junior Scale) and
Teaching Faculty for posting in different ESIC Hospitals and Medical
Colleges. ESIC has also recruited 2458 number of Nursing Officers.
Further, ESIC has also taken necessary steps to fill up 832 vacancies
of Nursing Officers, 243 vacancies of Assistant Professor and 11
vacancies of Dean. All Deans/Medical Superintendents of ESIC
Medical Institutions have been authorized to hire the contractual
Specialists/Teaching Faculty and Nursing & Paramedical Staff to
address the shortage, if any, as per requirement.
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