New Delhi, Feb 24 (PTI) Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), which provides workers with healthcare and other social security benefits, on Tuesday rolled out a free annual medical check-up initiative
for its over one crore members aged 40 years and above.
Carrying out annual health screening of workers aged above 40 years has been made mandatory for employers under the new labour codes that were notified in November last year.
ESIC, which celebrated its 75th foundation day on Tuesday, has about 3.8 crore members under its health insurance scheme. Of them, around 1 crore are above 40 years old.
Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya rolled the free medical check-up facility and said the move would strengthen workers' welfare.
Mandaviya emphasised that the ESIC must continue to adopt a reform-and-perform approach and take collective 'sankalps' to further improve service delivery.
Stressing the need to ensure availability of medicines, equipment and doctors across all ESIC hospitals, he called for minimising referrals by strengthening in-house facilities and suggested that ESIC should aspire to match its standard with premier institutions like All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
At present, ESIC has a network of 166 hospitals, 17 medical colleges and nearly 1,600 dispensaries.
Labour Secretary Vandana Gurnani said, "With the implementation of the labour codes, ESIC's responsibilities have expanded significantly. These include pan-India coverage, extension of social security benefits to unorganised and gig workers, and provision of annual health check-ups for workers above 40 years of age through ESIC facilities."
To mark the Platinum Jubilee of ESIC, a commemorative coin of Rs 75 was launched, along with a coffee table book showcasing its legacy and transformative initiatives.
Also, an agreement was signed between the National Health Authority and ESIC for convergence of the ESI Scheme with the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), which is aimed at strengthening coordinated healthcare delivery and expanding access to quality services.
ESIC also signed another agreement with the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) to promote quality assurance and accreditation across ESIC healthcare facilities.
ESIC will observe a Special Services Fortnight from February 24 to March 10 to enhance outreach and bring healthcare, social security, and welfare services closer to insured workers. PTI KKS HVA
