Panel set up to assess ESI delivery system

Hyderabad: The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has constituted a high-level Advisory Committee to assess the existing service delivery system under the Employees State Insurance (ESI) scheme. It is intended to ensure effective delivery system.

• Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya says the 8-member committee recommends measures to improve the services
• ‘A proposal is under consideration to introduce super speciality health care in all Employees State Insurance Hospitals’

Addressing the media at ESI conference hall here on Friday, Union Labour Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatraya said the committee would review the functioning of 151 ESI hospitals and 1,458 dispensaries. There was also a proposal to provide super-specialty facilities in all ESI Hospitals and upgrade the health dispensaries into 4 to 8 bed hospitals.

The Committee would suggest measures to bring all the ESI Hospitals under the norms of the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals. It would assess the existing system of delivery of services and also suggest measures to plug deficiencies, the Union Minister said.

The eight-member Committee would be headed by Briiz Kishore as its Chairman. The other members include Dr P S Prasad, Dr Ajay Kumar, Dr Avula Ramchander, Dr Yogiraj and Dr Pagiidipati Devaiah. While ESIC Joint Secretary G Venugopal Reddy would be the Member Secretary, Dr R K Kataria would be the Convener.

The term of the Committee would be for a period of six months, Dattatreya said. Dattatraya informed that efforts were on bring about 4.3 crore construction workers, auto-drivers, Asha and Anganwadi workers into the ESIC
coverage.

He said that ESIC would also include Indian system of medicine in its hospitals and dispensaries. He said presently about 8 crore employees are insured with the ESIC.