The labourers of Pithampur industrial area are facing problem in their medical treatment as the form no 4 which is required for their treatment has to be submitted in the ESIC empanelled nursing hospital in Pithampur is not available in Pithampur.
There are around 800 small and big industries in Pithampur industrial area in which around 2 lakh workers are engaged in different labour work. One of the labourers told that there are around 4 Government ESIC dispensaries in sector 1 2 3 and 4 industrial area in which Government ESIC doctors are attached to look after the labourers’ treatment and issuing them form 4 which is required to those patients who need a detailed medical test and advance treatment for which they have to go to Sanjeevani Hospital and research centre in Pithampur which is near their factories and houses.
However, the duty doctors present at the ESIC dispensaries do not issue them the form number 4 and for getting that form, they have to travel to 80 kms up and down to Nanda Nagar ESIC head office Indore. It takes a lot of time and money for them to travel to such a long distance. Meanwhile, patients have to wait for the treatment of the problem with the old and the women. This sometimes becomes unbearable .
Director of the ESIC, Madhya Pradesh, Dr BL Bangeria, told The Pioneer that I have given a written order to all the doctors of the ESIC dispensaries at Pithampur industrial area to issue the form no 4 at Pithampur itself. Why the patients are not getting the forms at Pithampur, I will see and if any patient complains me about any particular doctor in writing, I will take strict action.
The public relation officer of the Sanjeevani Hospital and Research Centre, Pithampur, said that if we don’t get the form number 4 from the patients, we cannot claim the expenditure done on the patients from the Government till now we are doing the treatment of the patients without this form number 4 but it will be impossible for us to continue to provide treatment to the patients in near future as it requires lot of expenditure on medical tests which the hospital cannot bear.