Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 29: Shobha Karandlaje, the Union Minister of State for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), as well as Labour and Employment, presided over a meeting today to assess the progress of the construction of a 100-bed Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital at the SIDCO Industrial Complex in Ompora, Budgam.
The hospital, which is being built with an investment of Rs 160 crore, will feature state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, including an Outpatient Department (OPD), Inpatient Department (IPD), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), wards, diagnostic labs, operating theaters, disaster management services, and an independent substation. Additionally, surgical and psychiatric departments will be incorporated, with specialist doctors and trained staff available around the clock.
The Minister highlighted that this hospital represents a significant advancement in healthcare infrastructure within Jammu and Kashmir. She emphasized its role in providing world-class healthcare services under ESIC to enhance the existing preventive, primary, and secondary healthcare system in the region.
Karandlaje urged the authorities to ensure the project’s timely completion and warned against any delays in the schedule. She also inspected the various health facilities being developed, which are set to cover 23 specialties within the hospital.
Karandlaje noted that over 6,000 industries and businesses in Jammu and Kashmir fall under the ESI Act, benefiting more than 133,000 insured individuals and their dependents at the Jammu Branch Office and five other dispensary branches located at Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Katra, and Srinagar. The new hospital will cater to a large population registered under the ESI Act.
She also mentioned that the hospital would enhance healthcare services throughout the region, providing access to surgical and psychiatric professionals at all times.
With its establishment, the hospital is anticipated to benefit thousands of insured industrial workers and their families connected with around 600 factories and registered institutions under the ESI Act. The ESIC system will cover all medical and hospital costs, including referrals to specialized care facilities, along with various insurance options for death and disability.
The official reported that SIDCO has secured 40 kanal of land for the hospital’s construction. “The facility is strategically constructed to ensure prompt patient care during emergencies, complete with necessary personnel and equipment, alongside a sufficient number of operating rooms. Approximately 23 specialists will be stationed at the hospital,” the official stated.
Present at the event were Dushyant Pande, Regional Director of ESIC, J&K, along with engineers from CPWD and IEDS Joint Director.
