ESIC works on convergence with Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
Two biggest health service providers coming together to provide medical care benefits
14.43 Crore ESI beneficiaries to get benefited with the collaboration
It is a
priority of the Government to work towards social security for workers,
ensuring their health benefits and medical care. This will go towards a
more productive labour force, working towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
In this context, working under guidance of Labour and
Employment Minister Dr.Mansukh Mandaviya, ESIC is working at expanding
healthcare access to the workforce and their dependants, by converging the
Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) with facilities of Ayushman
Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). This initiative will
benefit over 14.43 crore ESI beneficiaries and their families, providing them
with greater access to quality and comprehensive medical care across India. In
this context, Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Labour & Employment, Govt. of
India, on 26.11.2024 reviewed the progress of the entire process of convergence
of these two schemes and its implementation.
It was informed by DG, ESIC, Ashok Kumar Singh, that through
this convergence, ESIC beneficiaries will be able to avail the secondary and
the tertiary medical services at over 30,000 AB-PMJAY-empanelled hospitals
nationwide, with no financial ceilings on treatment costs. This partnership
will not only enhance the accessibility of healthcare services but also ensure
that treatment expenses are fully covered, making healthcare easily accessible
and affordable for all beneficiaries. The
charitable hospitals across the country will also be empanelled for treatment of
the ESI beneficiaries.
The present medical care under the ESI Scheme, being
taken care of by the existing health infrastructure of 165 hospitals, 1590
dispensaries, 105 Dispensary cum Branch Offices (DCBOs) and around 2900
empanelled private hospitals will continue. The convergence of the ESI Scheme
with AB-PMJAY will further supplement and strengthen ESIC efforts towards
providing quality and accessible medical care to the workforce and their
dependents of the country.
The ESI scheme has now been implemented in 687 districts
(as against 393 districts in 2014) out of 788 districts of the country. This
process has seen significant growth in the last 10 years. By collaborating with the PMJAY, the ESI Scheme
can now be extended to remaining non-implemented districts with provision of
this arrangement of medical care.
The convergence of ESIC with AB-PMJAY is expected to
significantly enhance the overall social security ecosystem, promoting health
equity, and ensuring that quality care is accessible to those who need it the
most.