Rourkela: Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) of India is a statutory body which self-finances social security and health insurance schemes for workers all over the country and manages funds according to rules and regulations stipulated in ESI Act, 1948.
However, instead of providing better healthcare facilities to workers, ESIC has shown step-motherly behaviour by withdrawing the referral facility and has sparked resentment in industrial Sundargarh district.
Earlier, in case of non-availability of adequate facilities in ESI hospitals for treatment of acute and critical diseases, beneficiary workers had the option to avail treatment at private referral hospitals in the state.
According to sources, a circular (FN-U-16/12/01/2019) to this effect has reached the superintendent of model ESI hospital here, recently. As per guidelines of the circular, referral facility has been withdrawn with effect from February 1, this year. Several workers’ organisations have strongly reacted against such an action of the ESIC authorities.
Previously, the labour organisations had demanded enhancement in number of beds at Rourkela model ESI hospital, which was not heeded. Basic infrastructural facilities like ultra-sonography and sufficient specialist doctors including support staffs are allegedly not available.
ESIC beneficiaries have wondered as to where they would go in critical situations. Where scores of workers in Sundargarh district live from hand to mouth with their limited incomes, withdrawal of the referral facility has pushed them into darkness, local workers lamented.
Notably, a team of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Rourkela led by the state vice-chairman Bishnu Mohanty met the hospital in-charge Dr Jayanti Behera and submitted a memorandum in this connection.