Mohali, May 28 (KNN) In a positive move, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Mohali  has found DHS (ESI) Punjab, SMO ESI Hospital Mohali and Medical Officer ESI Dispensary guilty of  deficiency in services  for causing delay in payment of medical reimbursement bill of workers covered under ESI Scheme.

MSME associations in the region have hailed the move and are determined to take up other matters related with ESI hospitals with the forum as well.

The forum directed to pay lump sum compensation of Rs. 25000/- for mental agony, harassment and cost of litigation.

Mohali Industries Association (MIA) said, “ Till date, the Consumer Forum has imposed penalty of more than Rs 5 Lakh on ESIC officers and DHS (ESI) officers in more than 20 consumer complaints, even then more than 2000 bills of poor workers are still lying pending for payment with ESIC/DHS (ESI) Punjab Chandigarh.”

As per the complaint filed by Raj Kumar, an ex-employee of Majestic Hotel, Mohali has taken treatment from PGI Chandigarh from 31/12/2013 to 23/01/2014. The complainant submitted his medical reimbursement bill for Rs.1, 11,417/- on 23/05/2014 in ESI Dispensary Phase-7, Mohali for reimbursement. After waiting for payment of his reimbursement bill from ESI Dispensary which is run by Director Health Services ESI Punjab Chandigarh for about one and half year, he filed Consumer Complaint in Consumer Forum Mohali

MIA said that approximately Rs. 10 crore per month is being contributed as ESI contribution from Mohali but there is no dispensary in Kurali, Morinda, Sailba Majri, Banmajra and Phase-9/Sector-82 Mohali. The ESI contribution is deducted @ 6.5% of the wages of the workers even then they are deprived of primary medical benefits.

According to information published by ESI Corporation, there are sum of Rs.10867.14 crore collected as ESI contribution and Rs.7510.65 crore spent on various heads including cash benefits, medical benefits and on administrative expenses, hence ESI Corporation had profit of Rs. 3356.49 crore during 2014-2015. Whereas total amount is required to be spent on providing medical facilities to Insured persons and their families as the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 has been enacted to provide for certain benefits to employees in case of sickness, maternity and employment injury and to make provisions for certain other matters in relation thereto.

The MIA said that it is also taking up the matter of poor workers with the officers of the ESI Corporation from time to time and also brought to their knowledge miserable conditions of ESI Dispensaries and non availability of medicines in the ESI hospitals. Till date no fruitful result has been come out to sort out the problems of insured workers. (KNN Bureau)