Workers in small industries covered by the ESI facility but unable to access the medical services due to locational problems will have something to look forward with the Government launhing Mobile Clinics.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will be the first states in the country where the facility would be made available initially and later expanded to other parts of the country. The Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Bandaru Dattareya flagged off these mobile clinics that would serve the areas not covered by ESI Dispensaries in Telanagana and Andhra Pradesh.
He said 13 mobile clinics have been launched initially and among them 8 clinics would serve in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Nalgonda and Nizamabad districts in Telanagana while five clinics would serve Chittoor, Prakasam, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Nellore and Anantapur districts in Andhra Pradesh.
Each clinic will have a vehicle with a Doctor, pharmacist, attendant, driver and the necessary equipment and medicines. The vehicle will visit two locations in a day for three hours each and conduct basic investigations. Each location will be covered twice a week, Mr. Dattatreya said. The annual expenditure for these will be around Rs. 30 crores.
Mr. Dattatreya said ESI services cover 48 lakh beneficiaries through 12 lakh insured persons in Telangana. There are six ESI hosptals, 70 dispensaries, 149 panel clinics and two diagnostic centres.