Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Kodikunnil Suresh, announced here that the ESI Hospital in Udyogamandal will be upgraded to a hi-tech, super-speciality hospital in two years’ time. Necessary discussions have been held in this regard with the Director-General, the Finance Commissioner and the Insurance Commissioner of the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) at Delhi and approvals have been obtained, he said.
The Minister said that he had visited all hospitals, dispensaries and offices under the ESI Corporation in Kerala and has ascertained that the longstanding demand for the upgradation of the Udyogamandal ESI Hospital is essential and logical considering the dilapidated condition of the hospital. ESI Corporation will appoint a Central Government agency to make an in depth study, he said.
The Udyogamandal hospital has facilities to admit 100 in-patients. But 200 more patients can be admitted when the proposed wing of the hospital will become functional in two years’ time, the procedures for which have progressed up to invitation of tenders, he said. Six hundred OP consultations being carried out per day would be increased to nearly 1,200 with the new wing and the improved facilities.
While going through the details of the proposed project, the Minister said that the ESI hospitals in Kerala have been finding it difficult to get super-speciality doctors despite advertising the requirement nationally. If the situation persists, ESI would be thinking of running the proposed super-speciality hospitals under public-private partnership (PPP) and that includes providing space and facilities to private parties, he said.
The demand to begin a medical college attached to the Udyogamandal ESI Hospital cannot be considered until more land, about 30 acres, is obtained. Presently the hospital owns only 14 acres, he said.
Vacancies, which have not been filled for a long time, have been identified and steps have been taken to fill all vacancies including that of regular specialist doctors. Fifteen such posts would be filled immediately. The authorities have also considered recruiting doctors and paramedics under contract basis. The new wing of the Udyogamandal hospital will have speciality departments like cardiac catheterisation laboratory, modern dialysis unit, oncology department and other health care departments. Provision for an ICU ward and two operation theatres will be included in the budget, he said.
Aluva ESI dispensary will be renovated into a primary hospital for admitting patients and providing treatment.