Ludhiana, Jun 17 (KNN) Slamming Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) for being failed to address the problems of the workers amid lockdown, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has dashed off a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh asking him to take the issue with the centre.

All Industries and Trade Forum (AITF), president, Badish Jindal in his letter to Capt Singh, said, ''The ESIC scheme was launched in India in the year 1952 to provide health and sickness benefits to the employees and their families but unfortunately the ESIC failed to perform its duties and became a profit making organization.

During the lockdown crises, the employers & employees were seeking some relief from this department but unfortunately, they extended no support to Employees or Employers except some extension of dates.''

He further added that during the lockdown owing to Covid-19 crisis, employers and employees were seeking some relief from this department, but unfortunately, they extended no support to employees or employers, except some extension of dates.

I have been closely associated with ESIC as its Board member and also the part of many prominent committees in ESIC. It’s a shocking fact that as per ESIC annual report the average per capita income is 6380 Rs per Insured Person and per capita expenditure on medical care is merely 2165 Rs per Insured person, said Jindal.

''If we take an example of Punjab the total average collection from the state by ESIC is around 726 Crores, among this amount the total medical expenditure incurred on IP’s in Punjab is merely 283.48 Crores. The state government contributed 37 crores in this. So, the per capita expenditure of ESIC in the state is merely 2166 Rs per Insured person,'' he added.

Jindal further alleged that the ESIC has failed to manage the parity among states and the political influence is the criteria to disburse the funds among states.

''If we go through the services provided by ESIC in Punjab the figures are really shocking as the IPD occupancy of Model Hospital of ESIC at Ludhiana is 103%. Whereas the occupancy of 125 Bedded ESI Hospital at Amritsar is merely below 20% which is costing around 13188 Rs per bed per day, and similarly the 100 Bedded ESI Hospital Jalandhar has occupancy of around 32% with an average of 8483 Rs per bed per day. The hospitals of Hosiarpur and Gobindgarh also have an IPD rate of 32% and Phagwara has a little better IPD rate of 50%. Whereas the hospital of Rajpura closed by ESIC and the ESIC Mohali is also a non-performer,'' he added.

''So, the state must come forward to discuss this important issue with the center for better care of employees of our state,'' he concluded.