ESI MC may not help common man

Kollam: The Rs 460-crore medical college inaugurated on Saturday at Parippally here is unlikely to benefit the common people as the ESI Act does not permit them to avail of its services. Also, the medical college still functions as the ordinary ESI hospital which it was prior to its renovation and has not been approved by the All- India Medical Council yet.

The ESI hospital authorities have forwarded the application for its approval as a medical college, only after which the courses can be started. The preliminary inspections and validations will  be conducted only in January and it may take years to complete the entire procedures.

Sources said giving treatment to the public after collecting charges is also practically impossible. “The central government should make necessary changes in the present provisions in the ESI Corporation guidelines to provide treatment to the common man,” demanded P.K. Gurudasan MLA.

The ESI Corporation Act has provisions for accommodating the public in accordance with the occupancy rate of the hospital. “In-patients can be accommodated if the specified number of beds remains unoccupied,” said S.V. Krishnakumar, Regional Director, ESI Corporation.

The ESIC Act enacted in 1948 aims at giving benefits to organisational employees in cases of  sickness, physical injury during employment, maternity, disability  and associated matters.