In order to extend the healthcare services offered under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Scheme to a wider area of the country, the central government has decided to enter into tie-up with healthcare service providers to offer primary and secondary healthcare under the scheme in regions where the service has not reached yet.

The decision is to enter into tie-up arrangement to provide primary and secondary healthcare under ESI Scheme, if such facilities are not available within 8 km of the dispensary and 25 km of the hospital, said Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister of Labour and Employment while inaugurating the new ESI Corporation divisional office at Gulbarga, Karnataka.

Calling for co-operation between the state and the central government for efficient administration of the ESI Scheme, the minister also said that state government may be allowed to appoint part time doctors for dispensaries and hospitals under the ESI Scheme. The expenditure on these part time doctors will be fully borne by the ESI Corporation. This will facilitate the state governments in providing the medical care under the scheme to the beneficiaries.

The ESIC divisional office, Gulbarga, has been set-up for catering to the needs and demands of ESI beneficiaries of the area and for monitoring, quick disposal of claims, grievances and to settle the issue of employers relating to recovery, and refund of claims without any delay. The office will exercise jurisdiction over Gulbarga, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Banahatti, Malked, Yadgir, Sedam, Kukunta, Raichur, Bellary, Hospet and Munirabad centres. The Gulbarga, Shahabad, Bijapur and Bellary branch offices of ESI Corporation falls within the jurisdiction of the newly set up divisional office, and the new office will serve more than 46,500 insured persons and 1100 factories and establishments of the Gulbarga region.

The foundation stone of a state-of-art ESIC Medical Education Complex at Gulbarga was also laid by the minister, recently. The Medical Complex will include ESIC Medical College, Dental College, Nursing College and 500 bedded ESIC Hospital.

The minister of labour, with the Karnataka state government, B N Bacchegowda, presided over the inaugural function.