Mohali, Apr 7 (KNN) The Mohali industrialists are so agitated due to the sorry state of the Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospitals across the state that they have finally filed a PIL for closure of the one at Mohali. The industrialists, who have crore of rupees stuck with the ESI Hospital for reimbursement, went on to say that the situation in Mohali ESIC hospital is even worse than a “Butcher House”.

On the World Health Day, KNN spoke to industries in Punjab to know that how nicely the health care is taken of the labourers in the ESI hospitals.

The Senior Vice President of Mohali Industries Association (MIA) Yogesh Sagar said, “The situation in Mohali ESIC hospital is worse than a Butcher House. Government has given lot of money but there are no facilities  like  sanitation, medicine etc. The condition of the hospital is very bad for which we have approached the Government and ESIC. But despite assurance, no positive sign has come from their side.”

Another industrialist, Jasbir Singh, who is also the Chairman of MIA, said, “Situation is getting worst. They are getting around Rs 10 crore for 2 lakh workers per month. But the industry is not getting any support from their side.

The industrialist pointed that the industries in the area have pending bills of around Rs 2.43 crore which needs to be reimbursed immediately but no one listens to us.

“The ambulance keeps standing outside the hospital but no they are never available for industries,” he said.

He said that the association has written five letters to the Prime Minister of India along with the Labour Minister, but they have received no respond from them.

“Every month the media publishes the report about this but all are sleeping. We had taken them to the court as well and they have been slapped Rs 5 lakh fine but even that has not shaken them,” he said.

But now finally we are filing a PIL to close it, we don’t want such hospital, he said. 

The industrialists pointed that the collection of Mohali ESI alone is more than Rs 10 crore but the output is absolutely nil.

The Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) is responsible for the maintenance of the hospitals.

“ESI hospitals across the state are in a very poor state. They do not work properly due to which the employees as well as the employers are feeling very frustrated,” Sanjeev Vashisht, President, Mohali Industries Association (MIA) told KNN earlier.

The employers pay certain amount of fees at the ESI hospitals every month. An ESI card enables workers to avail medical facilities at ESI dispensaries and hospitals. Under the ESI Act, it also entitles them to insurance and pension. 

“Despite paying the fees regularly, the facilities at the ESI hospitals are very primitive,” he said adding that there are no medicines in the hospitals.

“The attitude of the staff there is also not good. They have no infrastructure, no medical equipments and no facilities at all,” Vashisht said.

The Mohali based industrialist pointed that the employees/ labours have to buy the medicines from outside and present the bills for reimbursements.

“They do not reimburse the bills and keep asking them to come again and again and this goes on for an year or so,” he said.

The ESI hospitals, as said by the Punjab industrialists, provide medicine for fever and refer them to bigger hospitals just for the sake of doing away with the work.

Senior official of the ESI Corporation said the hospitals are maintained by the state government and comes under DHS. It is monitored by the SMCs. (KNN Bureau)