Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar has said that although the State government was spending ₹ 450 crore annually for supplying quality medicines to seven ESI hospitals and 113 ESI clinics in the State, it was regrettable that workers and the poor were not benefiting to the expected level.
Speaking to presspersons after visiting the ESI Hospital on Karwar Road in Hubballi on Friday, Mr. Hebbar said that, despite having an ESI Hospital in Hubballi, the government was paying ₹ 3.5 crore annually for treatment of employees under the ESI scheme to private hospitals as the hospital lacked infrastructure and the required medical staff.
“In fact, if we spend ₹ 6 crore to ₹ 8 crore, the ESI Hospital in Hubballi will have the required infrastructure to provide all necessary treatments. Shortly, the hospital will be provided with all necessary medical equipment and infrastructure. The issue of appointment of speciality doctors, surgeons and paramedical staff will also be finalised in a meeting to be held in Bengaluru on September 4 and 5,” he said.
Mr. Hebbar added that once the facilities at the ESI Hospital were improved and the required staff provided, the practice of referring patients to private hospitals would automatically stop. He said that the State government was paying private hospitals directly nearly ₹ 42 crore annually for treatment of beneficiaries of ESI scheme.
The Minister said that he had already toured 21 districts in the State and visited ESI hospitals and clinics and had interacted with doctors and patients. He said that a total of 150 doctors had been newly appointed and 11 among them would be deputed to work at the ESI Hospital in Hubballi.
Mr. Hebbar said that there was no rule that poor workers who did not have ESI cards should not be given treatment and medicines at ESI hospitals. “I will speak to the Union Labour Minister urging him to allow treatment for the poor in ESI hospitals. Public money is given to ESI hospitals but there are some complex regulations and they would be sorted out,” he said.
The Minister was accompanied by Member of Legislative Assembly Prasad Abbayya, Labour Commissioner Akram Pasha, Medical Superintendent Suresh K., Regional Labour Commissioner from Belagavi Venkatesh Sindihatti and others. Mr. Hebbar interacted with doctors and paramedical staff, heard their grievances and also inspected the various facilities.
Inspection
The Minister also visited the Karmika Bhavan which is under construction at Akshay Nagar in Hubballi and reviewed the progress of work. A grant of ₹ 10 crore has been provided of which ₹ 6.5 crore has been spent for the G + 2 floors building, while ₹ 1.5 crore is being spent for fire safety measures. The officials informed the Minister that the work is likely to be completed in the next two months.
Mr. Hebbar directed the officials to get another floor constructed in the same building to accommodate all the wings of the Labour Department and take steps to get the building ready for inauguration by January 1, 2021. He also asked them to set up a Labour Helpline facility on the ground floor of the building.
