ESI: Migrants allege discrimination

Afyer accusing public sector banks of having treated them poorly,migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are complaining that staff at the Employees State Insurance dispensaries and hospitals,treat them badly.

After accusing public sector banks of having treated them poorly,migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are complaining that staff at the Employees State Insurance (ESI) dispensaries and hospitals,treat them badly. This despite the migrant workers and their families being entitled to free treatment at these hospitals as ESI is deducted from their monthly salaries.

The staff sitting to make slips are the most rude. They call us Bhaiya from UP and Bihar. They continue having tea while patients stand in long queues and when we object,they throw our cards, alleged Ragunath,a migrant working in Bajaj Sons

Raju,another migrant said: On July 15,I had gone to the ESI dispensary in Focal point and when the staff were deliberately causing delays in the name of a tea session. I objected and a heated argument broke out in which two cups broke. They forced me to buy a new tea set and I did.

Surinder Kumar,another employee said: My card was thrown by the staff making slips and they even abused me when I told them I cannot stand in the queue for a long time because of my bad health.

Even the labour unions admit that the migrant workers are not treated well. This is a very common problem with the workers. A number of employees refuse to take treatment from ESI dispensaries and hospitals because of the bad treatment and harassment, said Lakhwinder Singh,President of textile Mazdoor Union.

The migrants have lodged their protest before the Deputy Director Dispensaries,ESI. They even staged a dharna at the Focal point dispensary on July 16 and had submitted a memorandum to the medical officer of the dispensary on the same day. In it,they demanded ‘proper respect in the dispensaries and hospitals.

The problem is the same in ESI dispensary number 1 and 4,both within the ESI hospital premises in Bharat Nagar chowk. When contacted Dr Suresh Kohli,medical superintendent of ESI hospital said: No such complaint has ever come to me. The employees should approach me,if they have any grievances.

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Dr Kulwant Singh,deputy director ESI dispensaries,however,confirmed such incidents were being reported from the dispensaries. The insured persons (IP) number is very high in dispensaries and the staff is short. In Focal point alone,98,000 workers are registered with one dispensary while in dispensary number 1 and 4, approximately 60,000 IPs are registered in each dispensary. We are planning to add more dispensaries to reduce the load, he said.

I have told the staff to handle the patients in proper manner. Often even the patients are not ready to wait despite the huge rush. At times,they dictate terms to the doctors and staff about getting a particular drug. They want to misuse the drugs and when the staff refuse,they raise allegations. We are trying our best to solve the differences if any, Kulwant Singh added.

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ESI: Migrants allege discrimination

Afyer accusing public sector banks of having treated them poorly,migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are complaining that staff at the Employees State Insurance dispensaries and hospitals,treat them badly.

Afyer accusing public sector banks of having treated them poorly,migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are complaining that staff at the Employees State Insurance dispensaries and hospitals,treat them badly.