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Talks on handing over medical college building to ESIC likely

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

IN DISCUSSION: Home Minister E. Valsaraj (right), interacting with Labour Minister M. Kandasamy and Regional Director of ESIC, Puducherry, K. Padmaja Nambiar, in Puducherry on Tuesday.

PUDUCHERRY: The government will discuss the possibility of handing over the half-constructed structure of Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Medical College and Research Institute to the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Corporation’s proposed new medical college in Puducherry, Home Minister E. Valsaraj said on Tuesday.

Inaugurating the ESI Corporation’s branch office in the town, Mr. Valsaraj, who also holds the portfolio of Health, said the Chief Minister and five Ministers would meet Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandez during their visit to New Delhi next week and hold extensive discussions.

“ The Cabinet will hold discussions and then decide. A committee could be constituted to see how this can be worked out,” he said.

The prevailing economic status of the Union Territory was poor to complete the works, he added.

Referring to the ESIC’s proposal to construct a medical college in Puducherry at the cost of Rs. 300 crore, he said, 50 per cent of the seats would be allotted for the students belonging to the Union Territory.

Puducherry needed around Rs. 1,000 crore as one-time help from the Centre to solve all the problems related to implementation of various schemes, he said.

The corporation had identified 15 ESI hospitals across the country, including the hospital at Gorimedu, for conversion into model hospitals. “The government will give 15 acres of land for the Corporation for the hospital works,” he added.

Labour Minister M. Kandasamy said they were taking initiatives to analyse the reasons behind losses in the Cooperatives Department.

The State Medical Commissioner of ESI Corporation, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Umesh Kumar Jain, said several initiatives have been planned to improve medical services. “We are planning to decentralise powers to medical superintendents of hospitals for taking day-to-day decisions in the development of the hospitals,” he said.

A board comprising representatives of employers and employees would be constituted and have a role in the management of the ESI hospital, in terms of providing suggestions, he said.

“Expenditure on super specialty treatment, which was borne by the State governments earlier, will be borne by the Corporation, he said.

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