Ludhiana’s ESIC Hospital will be upgraded to 500-bedded hospital.

Ludhiana, February 4, 2023: The existing 300-bedded ESIC hospital, Ludhiana will be upgraded to a 500 bedded hospital in the future. An assurance to this effect has been given to Sanjeev Arora, AAP’s MP (Rajya Sabha) from Ludhiana by Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav. 

Arora met the Union Minister on Tuesday to discuss various issues related to ESIC Hospitals in Punjab.

Giving this information here today, Arora said during his meeting, he thanked the Union Minister for responding to his question in Rajya Sabha on December 22 last year regarding ESIC Hospitals in Punjab. He said he apprised the Union Minister that there are pending requests from Punjab Government for six new ESI hospitals at various locations in Punjab. He assured the Minister stating that “if anything needs to be done on behalf of Punjab Government, may be informed so that a quick action is taken to resolve the same”.

He further apprised the Union Minister that Punjab is badly in need of more ESIC hospitals as in comparison to National Average of 1 bed for 2300 insured workers under ESIC, state has only 1 bed for 4100 insured workers under ESIC. Citing an example, Arora apprised the Minister that the current ESI Hospital in Ludhiana was made in the 1970s when the number of workers was 10 per cent of the present number, the industry has spread to adjoining areas of Khanna, Sahnewal, and Samrala. There is a dire need to have another proper ESI Hospital between Khanna and Sahnewal on NH 44 or nearby so that industrial workers and their dependents can be catered to.

Arora told the Minister that ESI Hospital in Ludhiana will also be able to cater to the industry of Mandi Gobindgarh and Fatehgarh Sahib and it is estimated that approximately twelve lakh workers are employed in Ludhiana. He urged upon the Union Minister that his requests shall be taken into consideration at the earliest.

Lauding the positive attitude of the Union Minister towards his requests, Arora said, “The Union Minister gave a very positive response and promised to upgrade ESI Hospital in Ludhiana to 500 beds in the future.” The Union Minister told Arora that he would require an application from Punjab Government to this effect. “On this, I assured the Union Minister that I shall do a follow-up and get the needful done at the state government-level”, said Arora.

Further, Arora said the Union Minister has also shown a positive response towards other proposals and suggestions put before him. He added the Union Minister promised him that he would hold a meeting of all the concerned MPs in Chandigarh on February 20 to discuss all these points. 

Arora said Punjab Government has already sent a proposal to the Centre to set up additional ESI hospitals at Sector-66 Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar in District SAS Nagar, Lalru in District SAS Nagar, Rajpura in District Patiala, Malerkotla in District Malerkotla, Doraha in District Ludhiana and Bathinda in District Bathinda. 

While concluding, Arora said he would be taking up these issues in the larger public interest till these arrived at some logical end.