Can ESI Hospitals cater to Industrial retirees from Private sector?

Extension of facilities of Hospitals and Dispensaries under the management of Employees State Insurance Corporation – Universal Health Care for retired Employees.

Present Status

Senior Citizens retired from private establishments, do not get any government pension. When in service, their heath care needs were taken care by their  private employers through the Employees  State Insurance  Corporation run dispensaries  and hospitals and in case of out of ESI employees,  through a group insurance medical scheme.

Once retired from service, this group totally depend upon private hospitals and pay their cost of health care from their savings. In case of major illness, entire saving is wiped out, in the absence of any Insurance Scheme. For these retired employees the total health care cost includes,  their own plus their dependent spouse and children. If  the Senior Citizen is diagnosed with a critical disease, it threatens the entire household financial security.

Possessing a pink ration card(APL) due to his earnings  while in service, the Seniors are denied health care security under the Govt. schemes  like Arogyasree etc..The State  Government has initiated an action to include more and more beneficiaries to the Arogyasree Scheme and have decided to extend the scheme to the retired  state govt. pensioners. Then, what happens to the poor retired  non-pension seniors from private service? Which  suitable  scheme will give them health care security. When the government  is spending crores and crores of money on Arogyasree, why  exclude this small percentage of the retired people  from the coverage?

With advancement in medical science, people won’t die, they will  be on their beds with one or the other chronic illness  needing heavy  expenditure on cost of medicines and  Hospital Expenses, helpless holding a PINK RATION CARD in their hands.

Extension of the facilities  of Hospitals and dispensaries  under the  E.S.I. to  all the retired persons  who  are otherwise not  covered  under any other health scheme sponsored by the Government, the government  to an extend help   those citizens who are otherwise  neglected for their health care.

Suggestion for method of operation:

Under this scheme ESI may extend these services of hospitals and dispensaries by issuing   smart cards like Arogyasree if it is desired  by collecting one time premium on yearly basis by renewals.

Advantages:

ESI has large number of multi specialty hospitals  dispensaries,  specialist doctors and medical officers.

ESI is under the direct control of Ministry of Labour and Employment.

P.L.Menon

9848074063 (pozhathmenon@gail.com)