8 ESIC hospitals with 1,042 beds declared COVID-19 facilities

The Labour Ministry on Thursday said that eight Employees State Insurance Corporation-run hospitals with 1,042 beds have been declared as COVID-19 hospitals.

Around 1,112 isolation beds have been made available in most remaining ESIC hospitals across the country, the ministry said in a release.

A total of 555 ICU beds with 197 ventilators have also been made available in these hospitals.

The eight hospitals declared as COVID-19 hospitals are at Ankleshwar, Vapi (Gujarat), Gurugram (Haryana), Udaipur (Rajasthan), Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), Adityapur (Jharkhand), Joka (West Bengal) and Jammu (J&K). Covid-19 testing facility has been made available at ESIC Hospital, Faridabad (Haryana).

The ministry noted that alternative 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 may also seek emergency/non-emergency medical treatment from tie-up hospital directly without referral letter, in accordance with his entitlement.

In order to ease hardship of ESI beneficiaries, the ESIC has allowed purchase of medicines by beneficiaries from private chemist during lockdown period and its subsequent reimbursement by ESIC.

"The country is dealing with a very challenging situation due to COVID-19 pandemic. Many parts of the country have been placed under lockdown to enforce social distancing. To deal with the crisis ESIC has undertaken multiple steps to provide relief to its Stakeholders and members of public," a ministry statement said.

ESIC Hospitals are adopting all the updated guidelines being issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on regular basis.

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.

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 June 30, 2020.

The payment of Permanent Disablement Benefit and Dependant's Benefit (around four 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 May 15, 2020.