Modi govt`s big decision for ESIC beneficiaries! Health services under ESI scheme in all districts from April 1 for ESIC beneficiaries

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has taken a major decision for the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) insured persons (IPs). 

ESIC beneficiaries would get access to health services under the ESI scheme in all 735 districts of the country from April 1, news agency PTI quoting an official said. At present, ESIC's health services are fully available for its IPs in 387 districts and partly in 187 districts, while there are 161 districts that do not have such services at all.

The ESIC provides health services to IPs through its health centres and hospitals as well as empanelled hospitals.

S P Tiwari, member of the Standing Committee of the ESIC, told PTI, "The Standing Committee in its meeting held on Wednesday approved the budget proposals for implementing an arrangement under which ABPMJAY empanelled hospitals will provide health services to its IPs across the country in all districts from April 1, 2021."

It may be recalled that in December 2020, the Ministry of Labour & Employment had informed that with the objective to provide better medical services to beneficiaries, ESI Corporation in the meeting held on 7.1.2020 has decided to directly run by itself all newly constructed hospitals and those that are approved in future unless the State Government insists to run the hospital.

Keeping in view the increase in ESI coverage over the recent years and the absence of ESI’s own medical infrastructure in several areas, the ESI Corporation has now decided that in areas where ESI infrastructure is not available within a radius of 10 kms, the beneficiary can avail medical consultation for OPD services directly from a hospital empanelled with ESIC or with Ayushman Bharat without the need for referral from an ESI dispensary or hospital.  In such cases if admission for indoor treatment is required, the empanelled hospital will obtain time bound permission from the ESI approving authority through an online system. 

Super speciality services in cardiology including nephrology, urology and oncology will be strengthened in select ESIC hospitals in Delhi/NCR and this will be extended to other ESIC hospitals across the country in a phased manner.

ESIC will engage Hospital Managers with specialisation in hospital management or hospital administration or health care administration for maintenance, housekeeping, patient assistance, patient safety and other ancillary activities in ESIC hospitals across the country.

ESIC will also engage the services of project management consultant for monitoring and facilitating execution of hospital and dispensary construction projects of ESIC from the stage of concept plan to the commissioning of the project.

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The ESI Corporation has also decided to extend the relaxed conditions and the enhanced benefit of 50% of the average per day earning upto a maximum of 90 days under the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana to the insured workers who became unemployed due to COVID-19 induced lockdown for a further period of six months i.e. upto 30th June, 2021.  The eligible workers can file their claims on the ESIC portal (www.esic.in) with the mobile number, Aadhaar and bank details.

With PTI Inputs