New Delhi: The country is dealing with a very challenging situation due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Many parts of the country have been placed under lock down to enforce social distancing. To deal with the crisis, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has undertaken multiple steps to provide relief to its Stakeholders and members of public.
The following ESIC Hospitals with 1042 Isolation Beds across India have been declared as Covid-19 Dedicated Hospitals:
ESIC Hospital,Ankleshwar, Gujarat : 100 Beds
ESIC Hospital, Gurugram, Haryana : 80 Beds
ESIC Hospital, Vapi, Gujarat : 100 Beds
ESIC Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan : 100 Beds
ESIC Hospital, Jammu : 50 Beds
ESIC Hospital Baddi, Himachal Pradesh : 100 Beds
ESIC Hospital, Adityapur, Jharkhand : 42 Beds
ESIC Hospital,Joka, West Bengal : 470 Beds
In addition to above, around 1112 Isolation Beds have been made available in most of the remaining ESIC Hospitals across the country. Further, a total of 555 ICU/HDU Beds with 197 Ventilators have also been made available in these Hospitals. Covid-19 testing facility has been made available at ESIC Hospital, Faridabad (Haryana).
Quarantine facility (total 1184 Beds) has been made functional in ESIC Hospitals at following locations:
ESIC Hospital, Alwar (Rajasthan) : 444 Beds
ESICHospital, Bihta, Patna (Bihar) : 400 Beds
ESIC Hospital, Gulbarga (Karnataka) : 240 Beds
ESIC Hospital, Korba (Chhattisgarh) : 100 Beds
In order to ease hardship of ESI Beneficiaries in this tough time, ESIC has allowed purchase of medicines by beneficiaries from private chemist during lockdown period and its subsequent reimbursement by ESIC.
Alternate provision has been made for providing medical services from Tie-up Hospital if an ESIC Hospital is declared as a dedicated Covid-19 Hospital to cater exclusively to Corona suspected/confirmed cases. ESI beneficiaries can be referred to tie-up Hospitals for providing prescribed secondary/SST consultation/admission/investigation, during the period for which concerned ESIC Hospital functions as dedicated Covid-19 Hospital. ESI Beneficiaries may also seek Emergency/non Emergency medical treatment from tie-up hospital directly without referral letter, in accordance with his entitlement. Nodal Officers have been nominated for each ESIC Hospital for effective coordination with State/Central Health Authorities regarding corona virus related matters.
Further, ESIC Hospitals are adopting all the updated guidelines being issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on regular basis. Implementation of all such measures is being regularly monitored at ESIC Hqrs. Office through video conference with ESIC hospitals across the country.
Efforts are being made to maintain adequate stock of mask and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, etc. Frequency of disinfection, asepsis and sanitization of ESIC health Institution premises has been suitably increased.
Orientation of medical/paramedical staff is being carried out on management of COVID-19 infection. ESIC Hospitals are working in coordination with their respective State Authorities regarding matters related to corona virus pandemic.
Medical Benefit is provided under Rule 60-61 to the Insured persons who cease to be in insurable employment on account of permanent disablement and to the retired Insured Persons, on payment of advance lump-sum contribution for a year at the rate of Rs 10/- per month. Under the prevailing circumstances of lockdown, there may be cases where validity of the medical benefit cards issued to these beneficiaries expire as these beneficiaries are unable to deposit the advance annual lump-sum contribution due to lockdown. Such beneficiaries have been allowed to avail medical benefit under Rule 60 and 61 of ESI (Central Rules) till 30.06.2020.
The payment of Permanent Disablement Benefit and Dependant’s Benefit (around 4.00 Lakh Beneficiaries for the month of March 2020) have been sent to the bank accounts of beneficiaries.
For employers, the contribution period for February which was to be paid by 15th March has been extended up to April and for March month the same has been extended to May, and no penalty or interest/damage will be levied on establishments on such delay.
Further, one-time relaxation has also been given to those Employers who did not file ESI contribution for the contribution period April, 2019 to September, 2019 within 42 days after end of the contribution period. The employers are allowed to file this contribution upto 15.05.2020.
Prasanta Patnaik