Mumbai: It will be three years on Friday since the fire at the State Insurance Company Hospital (ESIC) of employees in Marol in Andher, but two Covid waves and several guarantees later, 325-bed facilities have not continued operations.
Although there was not much damage to the building – especially the smoke that killed 13 people – renovation work at the five-story hospital had moved at the speed of the snail, the employee was suspected.
TimesviewWhy should renovate the hospital all together? There are beneficiaries who pay from their salary to take advantage of this scheme but are forced to seek care elsewhere.
Esic remains one of the richest schemes in the country, but medical facilities are under par.
Hospitals are not used optimally, both due to lack of labor or inadequate infrastructure.
“We believe the operation will continue in six to 12 months.
Now, 36 months is over, but the hospital remains dead,” said a senior staff, added that even many covid waves in the city could not attract authority from inertia.
When Tii visited Marol Hospital recently, there was no active construction activity in the area.
Ground floor, where fire has begun, is waiting for the completion of electrical and air conditioning.
The new consulting room has been made, but the ceiling and electrical work are waiting for the final touch.
Pharmacies, planned on the ground floor, have not been formed.
The furniture on the ward on the higher floor has not been delivered.
Not to mention, ct machines are expensive and MRI machines have lied for years now.
Pranay Sinha, Regional Director of Esic, told Toi the Outpatient Department would begin to function in one or two months.
“We have submitted a fire request from MIDC.
They have asked for some revised structure images, which have been provided,” he said.
When the second wave raged in Mumbai and there needs to be more insulation facilities, the Minister of Health Public Rajesh Tope has written to the Ministry of Labor and Employment State on April 16, urges that funds are available to complete priority improvements.
The country wants the first 100 beds submitted in 15 days.
But that doesn’t happen.
State officials and BMC told TII that ESIC Hospitals could play a greater role in the war against Covid if the infrastructure was in its place.
Only 50 of 350 beds at Worli Esic Hospital operating.
Calling a claim that ESIC Hospitals are Unavail-BLE for Covid “Untrue”, Sinha said nearly 2,000 patients were treated at Kandivli Hospital.
In all of Maharashtra, 2,050 beds belonging to 12 Ess / Esis hospitals are approved for covid care.
Jodhraj Bairwa, Secretary General, all ESIC ESIC Federation India, said the public interest, Marol Hospital must begin without delay.
The beneficiaries of the ESIC scheme contributed up to 2% of their salary, but eventually went to a private hospital.