Union minister announces Karnataka to get five new ESI hospitals

Bengaluru: Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya on Tuesday announced five new ESI hospitals for Karnataka, including one in Bengaluru.

Speaking after inaugurating the country’s first Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Nursing College and Auditorium near Indiranagar ESI hospital here, the Minister said a 200-bed hospital will be set up in Bommanahalli at a cost Rs. 150 crore.

A similar 100-bed facilities will come up in Shivamogga, Narasapura, Harohalli and Ballari. The existing 50-bed ESI hospitals in Hubballi and Davangere will be upgraded to 100-bed facilities, the Minister announced.

“Although there are over 1,300 ESI dispensaries in the country, they are not of much use to patients, who are forced to run from the dispensary to a hospital for treatment. So, the Centre is now planning to upgrade 500 dispensaries to six-bed hospitals. Of these, 71 dispensaries are from Karnataka,” the Minister said.

These 71 dispensaries include those in Basavangudi, Bommasandra, Devasandra, K.R. Puram, Russell Market, Channapatna, N.R. Mohalla in Mysuru, Nanjungud, T.B. Dam in Ballari, Robertsonpet in Kolar, Hassan, and Kalaburgi. These dispensaries will be upgraded to six-bed hospitals at a cost of Rs. 100 crore, the Minister said.

“Work on the first phase of upgrading the 500-bed ESI hospital in Rajajinagar into a super-speciality hospital will be completed in a month and subsequently the work on the second phase will begin,” he said.

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar said all ESI hospitals in the State will soon have Janaushadi outlets (generic medical stores). P.C. Mohan, MP, was present.