Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Patil has in a recent letter to Bhupender Yadav, the Union Minister of labor and employment stated how Mangalore Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospital has been facing several challenges off late and needs an upgrade. 

There is a shortage of staff, the hospital equipment seems to be outdated and the overall infrastructure simply seems inadequate for a hospital that has been serving the working population of the city for many years till date. 

This is indeed a sad situation for patients as well as healthcare professionals. That said, the minister then stated that renovation and expansion are both necessary, as it would bring about better diagnosis and treatment. 

Recent reports showed how ESI hospitals in Punjab and Haryana have in recent years, been underutilized, with a bed occupancy that is below 60 percent, a situation that reached the Lok Sabha. 

The lack of specialists and better facilities was the reason for this, leading patients to choose other private hospitals instead. 

It is with this in mind that the ministry later demanded that these hospitals improve their facilities. It also stated that all they needed for this was some localized decision making as the societies in charge of the hospital had enough financial autonomy and administration that they needed to address these needs.

Perhaps it was these concerns in the above two cities that led the Dakshina Kannada MP to take necessary steps in the ESI hospital here, to keep a similar situation from occuring. 

Read Also:

Udupi: Centre gives nod for 100-bed ESI Hospital

K’taka converting abandoned ESI hospital into Covid care centre