MP Kesineni seeks upgrade of ESI Hospital

Vijayawada: Member of Parliament Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) on Monday urged the Union Government to upgrade the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Hospital at Gunadala in Vijayawada into a 300-bed tertiary care hospital and establish an Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College on its campus.

Raising the issue under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha, the MP said the ESI Hospital, established in 1968, has been serving industrial workers and their families for nearly six decades under the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme. He said that the existing 110-bed hospital currently caters to around 2.88 lakh insured persons and nearly 10 lakh dependants across eight districts of Central Andhra Pradesh.

Kesineni said the hospital’s infrastructure has remained unchanged despite a substantial increase in the number of beneficiaries over the years. As a result, many patients requiring specialised treatment are referred to private hospitals, causing inconvenience and increasing healthcare costs for insured workers and their families.

He said that with the implementation of the Code on Social Security, 2020, ESI coverage is expected to expand further, leading to a significant rise in demand for quality healthcare services. The MP also highlighted that the hospital has nearly 25 acres of vacant land, providing sufficient space for expansion without the need for additional land acquisition.

Stating that the proposed upgrade would benefit nearly 13 lakh ESI beneficiaries, Kesineni urged the Union Government and the ESIC to take up the project at the earliest. He said establishing a 300-bed tertiary care hospital along with an ESIC Medical College would strengthen healthcare infrastructure, reduce dependence on private hospitals, create medical education opportunities and ensure affordable, quality healthcare for the working families of Central Andhra Pradesh.