Mandaviya Chairs 194th ESI Corporation Meeting: Key Announcements on ESIC Medical Colleges, Healthcare Expansion

To expand medical education and enhance healthcare access, ESIC has approved the establishment of 10 new ESIC Medical Colleges in various states.

Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, chaired the 194th meeting of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) at its headquarters in New Delhi. Key decisions were announced to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and medical facilities provided by ESIC, alongside measures to support employment. The meeting was attended by Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment and MSMEs, and several prominent government officials.

Establishment of 10 New ESIC Medical Colleges

To expand medical education and enhance healthcare access, ESIC has approved the establishment of 10 new ESIC Medical Colleges in various states. The approved locations include:

Andheri (Maharashtra)

Basaidarapur (Delhi)

Guwahati-Beltola (Assam)

Indore (Madhya Pradesh)

Jaipur (Rajasthan)

Ludhiana (Punjab)

Naroda-Bapunagar (Gujarat)

Noida & Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)

Ranchi (Jharkhand)

This aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2024 Independence Day announcement to create 75,000 new medical seats over the next five years.

Extension of Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan YojnaTo further support unemployed individuals, the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna has been extended from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026. The scheme provides unemployment allowances to insured workers who have lost their jobs, helping them financially while they search for new employment. Initially launched in 2018 as a pilot, this scheme has been extended multiple times due to its positive impact.

Convergence of ESIC with Ayushman Bharat PMJAYIn a significant step toward healthcare convergence, ESIC beneficiaries will now be able to access treatment at hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in areas lacking ESIC facilities. Importantly, there will be no expenditure limit for insured persons of ESIC at these hospitals.

Launch of Para-medical & Nursing Courses

To meet the rising demand for healthcare professionals, Para-medical and B.Sc. Nursing courses will be introduced in seven ESIC Medical Colleges located in:

Alwar (Rajasthan)

Bihta (Bihar)

Faridabad (Haryana)

Joka (West Bengal)

K.K. Nagar (Tamil Nadu)

Sanathnagar (Telangana)

Rajajinagar (Karnataka)

Nursing Officer Recruitment through NORCET

In an effort to address the shortage of nursing staff, ESIC will adopt the Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test (NORCET), as used by AIIMS, for hiring Nursing Officers across its hospitals, dispensaries, and medical colleges.

Land Acquisition and New Healthcare Infrastructure ProjectsSeveral infrastructure projects were greenlit, including:

A 100-bed ESI Hospital in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh

A 350-bed ESI Hospital in Pune, Maharashtra

A 100-bed ESI Hospital in Muzaffarpur, Bihar

ESI Dispensaries and branch offices in Fatehpur and Dhubri (Uttar Pradesh and Assam, respectively)

Construction of 717 new staff quarters in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Support for Farmers and Workers

The Minister also touched upon the Lakhpati Didi Initiative, aiming to increase the monthly income of rural women to over ₹10,000, and highlighted ongoing efforts to support farmers through schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and measures to stabilize prices of agricultural products like soybeans and lentils.

Attendees and Broader Implications

The 194th meeting was attended by various dignitaries, including Members of Parliament Dola Sen, Praveen Khandelwal, and N.K. Premachandran, as well as top officials like Secretary (Labour & Employment) Sumita Dawra and Director General of ESIC Ashok Kumar Singh. The meeting reviewed the corporation’s ongoing projects, deliberated on improvements in medical care services, and discussed financial and administrative matters.

These decisions mark a significant step towards expanding healthcare access, boosting medical education, and providing relief to unemployed workers, while advancing ESIC’s mission to support India’s workforce and economy. 4o  You said: