Delay in issuing GO leaves patients in lurch

Tirupati: The delay in issuing government order for recruitment of additional staff including doctors and paramedical staff coming in the way of thousands of beneficiary employees working in various establishments in Tirupati area realising the fruits of the upgradation of the ESI (Employees State Insurance) Regional Hospital here.

The ESI Hospital moved into a state of the art building constructed at a cost of Rs 125 crore last year to scale up its medical and health services to more than one lakh employees working in various private establishments including industries, factories, service organisations etc in Tirupati area, who are insured with the ESI Corporation (ESIC).

Daily more than 3,00 outpatients and 70-80 inpatients are availing the medical services of the hospital here in the city. It is needless to say that the recruitment of required additional staff will help the hospital double the present patients' strength.

Ironically, though there is not much financial burden to the State exchequer, the issuing of the GO is delayed indicating the State government apathy in reaping the benefits of ESIC to improve health for the considerable number of private and unorganised sector employees.

Sources said that, the GO is required for appointment of about 150 staff in the ESI Hospital including 25 specialist doctors, 20 staff nurses, 30 paramedical staff, 10 office personnel and 63 sub-staff proposed under the upgradation of the hospital which wasdone long back in 2011 itself.

The ESIC taken up the construction of the new building in 2009 itself but was delayed for various reasons and was ready only in 2018 paving the way for its upgradation. But even after one year, the required staff was not appointed for want of the GO, a senior official of the ESI Hospital said on condition of anonymity.

ESIC Regional Advisory Board member N Mohan said that the board members and the hospital authorities trying their best for issuing of the GO for appointment of staff to end the inconvenience the patients facing due to severe staff crunch but in vain. More importantly, the GO not only help for enhancing staff strength improving facilities in the hospital but also lead to further upgradation, Mohan said informing that ESIC is keen on increasing the bed strength further in view of steady increase of insured persons under the ESI scheme.

He and many trade union leaders including CITU general secretary K Murali appealed the State government to issue GO immediately for solving the long pending issue for the sake of thousands of employees availing ESIC medical and health facilities.