The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) at its 184th meeting held, under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Labour and Employment (Independent Charge) Santosh Kumar Gangwar in New Delhi on February 22, decided to construct a 350-bed hospital with an additional 50-bed super speciality treatment (SST) wing in Visakhapatnam.
A decision was also taken to construct 128 staff quarters at Sheelanagar in the city. The proposed hospital, after construction, will provide medical services to around 14 lakh beneficiaries, covered under ESI scheme in Viaskhapatnam and surrounding areas.
Former MP Kambhampati Haribabu had made efforts for improvement of medical facilities in the city during his tenure. The then Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya had laid foundation for construction of a 300-bed ESI Hospital at Sheelanagar on April 11, 2016.
Later, it was decided to construct a 500-bed hospital along with a medical college in view of the growing needs of North Andhra.
Failure of the previous Telugu Desam Party government to allocate the additional land required and its reported attempts to get the project shifted to Vijayawada have caused inordinate delay in the project taking off.
Subsequently, the YSR Congress Party government has also neglected it but the efforts of the BJP leaders from Visakhapatnam has resulted in a 350-bed ESI hospital getting sanctioned to the city, according to BJP Parliamentary District president M. Raveendra.
