Works on Integrated ESIC hospital yet to begin

Workers unions, political parties exerting pressure on state govt

Srikakulam: Proposals for an Integrated Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospital in the district at Pydibhimavaram industrial area in Ranasthalam mandal remain on papers.

An integrated hospital is essential for workers of various industries in Ranastalam, Laveru, Etcherla and other mandals across the district. Right now, they are depending only on the ESI hospital in Vizianagaram for better medical facilities. At present, only a clinic is being run at Pydibhimavaram where only two doctors are available and no further medical treatment is possible except first aid.

Speaking to the media here on Sunday, district CITU general secretary Duppala Govinda Rao said that according to rules, at least five qualified doctors must be available to provide round-the-clock services where ESI policy holders (workers) were more than 10,000. However, in Pydibhimavaram ESI clinic limits, 17,300 ESI account holders are paying installment amount regularly and working in various industries. But, here only two doctors were available and round-the-clock treatment remains a dream, he lamented.

Govinda Rao said, “We have been demanding a 100-bed ESI hospital at the industrial area near Pydibhimavaram for the last 10 years as many workers are working in various industries.” Moreover, they are contributing the required installment amount every month for ESI but the state government is running only one dispensary with two doctors,” he lamented.

He said that at Pydibhimavaram dispensary, only first aid was available and for further treatment, they have to depend on the ESI hospital at Vizianagaram and King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam, said Ch Satyam and A Srinivas workers of Reddy’s Lab and Sam Pistons.

The government allotted 50 cents of land for ESI hospital at Pydibhimavaram on the premises of AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) three years ago. But the officials concerned were not making sincere efforts to establish a hospital, he bemoaned. “We are planning to establish an Integrated Hospital at Pydibhimavaram industrial area,” ESIC joint director PRDas explained.

In Srikakulam, the total number of workers are two lakhs across the district working in various industries and they are demanding the inclusion of rice mills, cashew and coconut workers under ESI purview, said BJP leaders K Viswanadham, P Venugopalam, D Ravindra Babu. They recently submitted a memorandum to Union Minister for Labour Bandaru Dattetreya for ESI hospitals in Srikakulam city, Pydibhimavaram and dispensaries at Palasa and Rajam towns.