Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Taking Measures To Tackle COVID-19 Pandemic

As India's healthcare system crumbles in the face of a resurgence of the pandemic, the Labour Ministry's Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has pressed nearly 50 hospitals to provide facilities and could push for more money in partnership with states to combat the health emergency.

To cope with the revival of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Ministry of Labour and Employment's Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has taken a number of measures to assist its stakeholders as well as the general public.

In February 2021, approximately 11.58 lakh new members entered the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)-run social security program, compared to 11.78 lakh the previous month, according to a report released on Friday by the National Statistical Office (NSO), which provides insight into formal sector jobs in the country.

The NSO report is focused on payroll data from new subscribers to ESIC, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority's various social security schemes (PFRDA).

A total of 21 ESIC Hospitals across India are operating as COVID-19 Dedicated Hospitals, with 3676 Covid Isolation Beds and 229 ICU/163 ventilator beds to primarily provide COVID medical services to the general public. In addition, six ESIC hospitals have both Covid and non-Covid facilities.

Though ESIC has dedicated a significant portion of its resources to the war against covid, it is also making preparations for its subscribers. Each ESIC hospital has been instructed to use at least 20% of its bed capacity as dedicated covid beds for ESI-insured individuals, beneficiaries, employees, and pensioners.

In addition to the above, each ESIC hospital has been instructed to use at least 20% of its bed capacity as dedicated Covid beds for ESI IPs, beneficiaries, employees, and pensioners.

ESIC has required beneficiaries to buy medicines from private chemists and ESIC would reimburse them later, in order to alleviate the suffering of ESI beneficiaries during these challenging times.