Pushpendra Singhdeo said no industrial worker will be left un-attended to by the ESI hospitals

ESI hospitals ailing on many fronts
Express News Service First Published : 17 Jun 2009 03:19:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 17 Jun 2009 11:01:54 AM IST
Expressbuzz, June 17, 2009

BHUBANESWAR: With industrialisation on the agenda of the State Government, can we ignore the health care status of the industrial workers? But with the current state of affairs with the hospitals run by the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), it seems, the Government has to do more in this regard.


While the long-standing demand for a director’s posting from the ESI scheme for better understanding and governance is yet to materialise, many posts including doctor, are laying vacant in many hospitals run by the organisation.

According to sources, even at its Bhubaneswar facility full-time doctors from disciplines like anaesthesiology, radiology and medicine are absent while the AIDS cell is performing without any technician. Similar is the condition of the electro cardio-gram (ECG) machine, which has no technician to operate.

Even some basic things like medicines, injections and `betadine solutions’ are not available on many occasions leading to hardships for simple operations needed for the industrial workers, sources said adding shortage of X-ray films also creates problem for orthopaedic complications.

With Orissa doctors not opting for the ESI cadre due to pay disparity with Orissa Medical Service (OMS) cadre, many units are managed by inadequate number of doctors and also with less number of staff, many feel stressed with increased number of patients, sources revealed.

Contacted, Labour Minister Pushpendra Singhdeo said no industrial worker will be left un-attended to by the ESI hospitals and steps are already being taken through `meaningful dialogues’ to post doctors, para-medics and technicians in vacant posts, adding the Government is also planning to start a rehabilitation centre in the State _ perhaps the first in the country _ which will give livelihood assistance to industrial workers.

Earlier, the workers were usually getting the monetary benefits.

Regarding the pay parity, Singhdeo said the Government had already started the process and incentives will be offered to doctors posted in the KBK region.

``Also steps are on to motivate doctors to join ESI service,’’ he added.