Integrated ESIC hospital still a dream for Srikakulam

- Currently the workers are depending on the ESI hospital Vizianagaram for further treatment due to lack of facilities in
hospital at Pydibhimavaram

Srikakulam: Proposals for integrated Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospital in the district at Pydibhimavaram
industrial area in Ranastalam mandal has remained on paper for years together. The integrated hospital is essential for workers of
various industries in Ranastalam, Laveru, Etcherla and other mandals across the district. They are depending on ESI hospital
Vizianagaram for further treatment. Currently, a clinic is being run at Pydibhimavaram where only one doctor is available, and no
further treatment is possible except first aid. According to rules, at least five qualified doctors must be available to provide
round-the-clock services where ESI policy holders (workers) number crossed 10,000.

But in Pydibhimavaram ESI clinic limits ESI account holders are 18,000 who are paying amount regularly and working in various
industries, but here only one doctor is available and round-the-clock treatment is remained a dream. ”We have been demanding 100
beds ESI hospital at Pydibhimavaram industrial area for the last ten years as a large number of workers are working in various
industries and they are contributing amount every month for ESI but the government is running only a dispensary with two doctors,”
CITU district general secretary Duppala Govinda Rao and division secretary, P TejeswaraRao lamented.

Ambulance, regular power and even inverter facility not available at the clinic and medical staff are discharging their duties with the
help of cell phone torches, they added.

At Pydibhimavaram dispensary only first aid is available and for further treatment we have to depend on ESI hospital at Vizianagaram
and King George Hospital (KGH) Visakhapatnam, said Ch Satyam and A Srinivas, workers of Dr Reddy’s Lab and Sam Pistons
companies. Government allotted 50 cents of land for ESI hospital at Pydibhimavaram in AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation
(APIIC) premises three years ago.

But officials concerned are not making efforts sincerely to establish the hospital. “We are planning to establish integrated hospital at
Pydibhimavaram industrial area,” stated ESIC joint director (JD) P R Das.

Chowdari Lakshmana Rao