Business/Technology
MCCI organized Special Session on “Changing Role of ESIC in ensuring Social Justice and Inclusivity
“ESIC will plan to increase the coverage wage amount up to Rs. 30,000/-, the near future” said Shri Amrish Kumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner & Regional Director, West Bengal & Sikkim Regions.
21st March 2025
Shri Amrish Kumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner & Regional Director, West Bengal & Sikkim Regions was the Chief Guest.
Shri Amrish Kumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner & Regional Director, West Bengal & Sikkim Regions in his address mentioned that the ESI Scheme is now notified 674 Districts in 36 States & Union Territories, which include 571 fully notified districts and 103 partially notified districts. ESI mainly represents the five benefits which include Medical Benefit, Sickness Benefit, Maternity Benefit, Disablement Benefit and Dependent Benefit. He shared that ESIC believes that IP is our VIP. India’s first prime Minister Shri Jawaharlal Nehru was the first IP.
In case of Super-Specialty Treatment, Shri Sharma stated that injured IP will be eligible for SST treatment from the first day itself and irrespective of any contributory condition and on emergency can be directly taken to any of the Tie-up Hospital for treatment and the formality of Referral can be taken later. Cash Benefits under ESIC scheme are Sickness Benefit, Maternity Benefit, Disablement Benefit (TB/PDB), Dependent Benefit and Other Benefits ((Funeral Exp./ Confinement Exp./ RGSKY).
Recently ESI also includes Unemployment Allowance scheme like Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana (RGSKY) in which Loss of Employment due to Closure of Factory/ Retrenchment or Permanent Disablement due to Non-Employment Injury contribution to be paid for minimum 2 years. In maternity benefit, IP is getting total wage for the 6 months during her leaves.
Shri Sharma informed that In West Bengal, there are more than 80 lakh total beneficiaries under ESI Scheme. ESIC has tied up with 52 Superspeciality hospitals including Manipal, CMRI, Apollo, Medica.
Shri Sharma highlighted that recent initiatives under ESIC which are free annual preventive health check-ups to insured members aged 40 and above, funeral expenses, confinement expenses. ESIC also provides in house Chemotherapy services at 42 ESIC hospitals nationwide.
Shri Sharma lastly mentioned that by collaborating with Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme can now be extended to remaining non-implemented districts with provision of this arrangement of medical care.
Shri Munish Jhajharia, Vice President, MCCI in his Welcome Address said, “ESIC is the only organization which provides such benefits that nobody can”.
He mentioned that there are at present around 161 hospitals and 1,574 dispensaries across India, providing comprehensive medical care to insured persons and their families. The number of ESIC beneficiaries has almost doubled in the last 10 years, increasing from less than 8 crores in 2014 to around 14 crores in 2024. 20,360 new establishments have registered under ESI Scheme in the month of December, 2024.
Shri Jhajharia mentioned that All ESI hospitals are not multidisciplinary hospitals and hence the services rendered by a few of them are not to the satisfaction of the employees.
The Session was concluded with hearty Vote of Thanks proposed by Shri Sanjib Kumar Kothari, Treasurer & Chairman, Council on MSMEs, MCCI.
(This story has not been edited by News Mania staff and is published from a MCCI Release)
