Harshini Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Nov 7: For the past three months, ESI beneficiaries have been facing dark days. Employees State Insurance (ESI) Corporation has been collecting 6.5 percent of the ESI money every month from employees as well as the employers, but they have not received its benefits. As many as 10,000 employees are under ESI scheme in Manipal and Udupi.
Approximately, Rs 1.50 crore reaches ESI every month from the city. This benefit is now available at four hospitals in Udupi namely Kasturba Medical Hospital, Manipal, TMA Pai Hospital, Udupi, Adarsh Hospital and Hi Tech Hospital Udupi.
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The Employees' State Insurance Act 1948 states that social security legislation is a must for medical care and cash benefit in the contingency of sickness, maternity, disablement and death due to employment injury to workers.
ESI holders should receive the entire amount of medical expenses within 60 days of the date ESI is claimed, but the hospitals say they have not received any ESI funds for the past three months.
ESI scheme is financed by employers (4.75%) and employees (1.75%) of the total wages.
A person who gets monthly wages upto Rs 15,000 per month is eligible for this scheme. A company which employs 10 workers is eligible to obtain the benefits.
Middle class labourers are not able to afford heavy medical expenses. An employee can claim upto Rs 35 lac.
ESI companies, central as well as state government are not taking any measures toward repayment, even after receiving so many complaints on blocked cashless treatment.
ESI facilitating hospitals have scores of expert doctors to take care of patients who do not come under ESI category, but workers are unable to get required service due to lack of doctors. Moreover there is only one ESI office functioning in Udupi city.
G A Koteyyar, president, the common people welfare association informed daijiworld that Bengaluru has a seperate wing (hospital) for ESI beneficiaries, which is not found in Udupi. It helps the people to get their health benefits. Central government also plans to stop ESI facilities completely.
Koteyyar demanded a seperate ESI service hospital for Udupi and for ESI doctors to be appointed wherever required.
He added that people lack knowledge of ESI benefits.
He stressed the repayment of pending dues to hospitals. "Otherwise the association will approach national channels to grab their attention. We will appeal to the central government to conduct a CBI probe to investigate the misuse of ESI funds," he added.