Lok Sabha Question No. 4001 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Upgradation of ESI Hospitals
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Y S Avinash Reddy

## 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/UTwise, 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 superspecialty  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.

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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