ROURKELA: The cumbersome process of availing treatment at the dispensaries of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Sundargarh district is a major cause of concern for beneficiaries. Sources said the district has around 82,000 insured persons under the ESIC scheme of the Centre. Apart from the Model Hospital of ESIC at Rourkela, the district has eight dispensaries with a sanctioned strength of one to five doctors. Two more dispensaries are coming up at Koida and Bonai.
While patients were earlier referred to the Model Hospital from the dispensaries, the norm was relaxed recently to ease the load on the latter. But the move has become a headache for patients who have no option to wait in some cases for two days and complete formalities to avail of treatment at the dispensaries.
An insured person of Rourkela requesting anonymity said he is suffering from a chronic health condition and had to take two days' leave for avail treatment at an ESI dispensary adjacent to the Model Hospital. While day one was spent on preliminary treatment and pathological tests at the dispensary, he could avail treatment at the Model Hospital the next day. “The timing of the dispensary is another issue the beneficiaries have to face,” he said.
Odisha Unit CITU vice president Jehangir Ali said although the norm for emergency patients has been relaxed, practically the majority of the entitled patients are facing trouble as the dispensaries function from 8 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 8 pm on working days. The dispensaries remain closed on Sundays, state government holidays and national holidays. He said the dispensaries are managed by MBBS doctors.
The entitled patients are forced to visit the dispensaries allotted to them first to be allowed treatment at the Model Hospital. In several cases, workers are not allowed leave by their employees in sync with the timings of the dispensaries.
Ali said absenteeism is another issue at the dispensaries and it has been resolved to a large extent after CITU’s protests. “Under the circumstances, poor insured persons of Rourkela or far-flung areas of the district including those suffering from chronic diseases are wary of visiting their dispensaries first lest they might be refused treatment at the Model Hospital over some procedure,” he added.