Center approves 500 bedded new ESI hospital in Amaravati

The central government has granted in-principle approval for the establishment of a 500-bed ESI secondary care hospital and a medical college with 150 super specialty beds in Amaravati. Since the bifurcation of the state, the ESI super specialty hospital that was located in the joint Andhra Pradesh went to Telangana, and there has been a lack of such a facility in the state since then.

As a result, the state government recently proposed the establishment of a hospital in Amaravati, to which the central government responded positively. Similar to the hospital built in Hyderabad, the new facility will be set up in Amaravati as well.

The ESI Corporation has formed a special committee to prepare a detailed report regarding the establishment of the hospital and medical college. This committee will submit its findings to the central government's ESI Corporation. According to the National Medical Commission's regulations, a minimum of 25 acres is required for the establishment of a medical college, while the ESIC regulations stipulate that 10 acres are needed for the construction of a 500-bed hospital.

Land will be allocated accordingly. If the ESI Corporation is given the responsibility for the construction and management of the hospital, the state government will not incur any expenses. However, if the state chooses to manage the hospital itself, it will have to bear one-eighth of the contract cost.

Amaravati is already well-connected by national highways and railways. In the future, it is expected to attract IT companies, hotels, educational institutions, and industries. The workers employed in these companies will fall under the ESI scheme.

Currently, there are approximately 1,455,987 ESI employees across the state, with over four lakhs in the Vijayawada and Guntur regions. This number is expected to grow. To accommodate this increasing workforce, a state-level hospital is being established in Amaravati.