Bangalore: Kavitha Sriram (name changed) had been waiting to get her papers checked and attested by the authorities concerned at the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) head office in Rajajinagar for almost a week. She needs a heart operation.

"I work in a garment factory and cannot afford the operation. I was advised to get it done at the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology. All the papers were ready and yet the officials here made me run from pillar to post," she told The Hindu here on Friday. After a week of running around, she got her work done.

However, P. Shobhana Devi, director of ESI, said that the process to get aid from the ESI for treatment was not cumbersome. "Patients only feel that way because most of them do not keep the required papers ready when they come to us. In such cases, we are forced to send them back," she said.

She also said that patients are even sent to super-speciality hospitals for treatment. The ESI Corporation has a tie-up with 16 super-speciality hospitals in the city.

"There may be some cases that need specialised diagnosis and treatment. Such cases are referred to the super-speciality hospitals. However, there is a procedure that is to be followed. The patients are advised to follow the procedure, because if they do they can avail themselves of the benefits of the ESI scheme with ease," Dr. Devi said.

The ESI was ready to bear the cost of treatment of workers and there was no limit for that. However, there was limit of Rs. 1 lakh per annum per family member of the worker, she said. "There have been several cases where the ESI has spent huge sums for treatment of patients. Recently, the ESI sanctioned Rs. 34 lakh for a bone marrow transplant," she said.

Asked about the plans to increase beds at the two ESI hospitals in the city, D.O. Gangadhara Swamy, Assistant Director, ESI, said that there was no such move.

With regard to shortage of staff, Dr. Swamy said that a proposal to fill the vacant posts by employing doctors on contract basis had been submitted. "The proposal is with the Finance Department now. It will, in all probability, be cleared in a week or two," he said.

He also said that the ESI Corporation had appreciated the efforts of the regional office in trying to curb misuse. "We were the first to introduce group photo system. In fact, other States in the country are emulating us," he said.

ESI hospitals lacked intensive care unit (ICU) facility and specialised departments. Dr. Swamy said that they had sent a proposal to Delhi some six months ago for opening an ICU.

Though the infrastructure and facilities provided by the ESI had improved over the years, enquiries revealed that several patients dread going to the ESI, as they find the process complicated.

(Concluded)

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail