The Bombay High Court, in a response to a PIL, in April this year had directed the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to take steps to ensure that the construction of its hospital building, which is undergoing renovation, in Andheri East was completed and possession was obtained on or before August 15, and that the corporation should endeavour to make the facility operational on or before January 31. However, the work has not been completed.
Congress leader Rajesh Sharma, who had filed the PIL, claimed, “Not a single bed has been put up. Despite court orders, there are no signs of handing over the hospital to the administration. When will the hospital authorities set up the equipment? Lakhs of employees are being deprived of modern healthcare facilities due to these repetitive delays.”
The delay has once again raised questions about the accountability of the ESIC and the contractors responsible for the project. Labour rights activists who were among the petitioners in the PIL alleged that bureaucratic red tape and lack of coordination between agencies are the primary reasons behind the holdup.
When questioned, an ESIC official told mid-day, “Government projects have multiple protocol layers and do take time. We are trying our best to follow court orders. We do realise that the deadline has passed. But we are facing some internal challenges about which we do not wish to communicate at the moment.” The official further stated that the work would be done in two months, as just a few last-level paper and civil works were yet to be completed.
Meanwhile, the same hospital has received permission to start a medical college with 50 students from this academic year. The future of the same is in doubt as the IPD services are still being provided at the Kandivli ESIC Hospital, and the one at Andheri is only providing OPD services. “Students will not require IPD facilities in their very first year. While applying for starting a medical college, we mentioned both our Kandivli and Andheri facilities, and we received permission on that basis only. By the time the students finish their first year, all facilities will be available at the Andheri hospital,” said a top official from the hospital administration.
For now, patients continue to wait in the hope that authorities act swiftly. “We live in Koldongri, Andheri and work at MIDC. Since we are not affluent, we were dependent on the ESIC Hospital. The facility wasn’t operational for almost a decade. Since it was reopened, only the OPD has been functional. We still have to travel to Kandivli for treatment. They should understand that it becomes expensive to travel so far by auto or ambulance during emergencies,” said Latika Mistry, a patient visiting the OPD on Thursday. With just four months left before the next deadline, the onus is on the ESIC to ensure compliance and prevent yet another extension that could further erode public trust.
Leave a Reply