Stalled ESI Super Specialty Hospital Project in Hyderabad

Overview of the Project’s Status

A decade after the ceremonial launch of a 100-bed ESI Super Specialty Hospital at Seetharambagh in Goshamahal, the site remains undeveloped, with no construction initiated since the foundation stone was laid. According to reports from The New Indian Express, patients continue to rely on the outdated local dispensary for medical treatment.

RTI Findings Reveal Lack of Progress

A recent response to a Right to Information (RTI) application by the Telangana ESI Corporation highlighted significant setbacks. The ESIC headquarters has not issued the necessary approvals, financial clearances, or allocated land for the hospital project.

Historical Context of the Project

The initiative was first announced on November 28, 2015, by former Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya. It aimed to enhance healthcare services for a growing number of users in the region. The planned facility was designed to serve 12 ESI dispensaries in the Goshamahal area, catering to over one lakh insured individuals and more than 5.32 lakh beneficiaries.

Existing Facilities and Potential for Development

Currently, the dispensary in Goshamahal occupies three acres of land, which is well-suited for the establishment of a modern hospital equipped with indoor, outpatient, emergency, and diagnostic services, as confirmed by an official ESIC release. Despite this, no progress has been made on the new hospital project even after ten years.

Lack of Official Approval

A senior official from the ESIC informed The Daily that construction has not commenced due to the absence of official approval from the ESIC headquarters.

New Hospital Project Announced

While the future of the Goshamahal hospital remains uncertain, the Central government has initiated plans for another ESIC hospital within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits. On December 16, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy announced the approval of a 100-bed ESIC hospital in Raikunta village, Shamshabad, aimed at providing accessible healthcare to 1.3 lakh ESI-insured workers in the Rangareddy district. He also noted that the 197th ESIC meeting on December 11 authorized land acquisition worth 16.125 crore.

Call for Accountability

Galibe Vishal, a member of the ESI Hospital Development Committee, expressed frustration over the lack of progress, stating, “It is beyond comprehension that the ESIC has failed to undertake the construction of a hospital whose foundation stone was laid a decade ago. We demand that the corporation first complete the Goshamahal hospital before taking up a new one at Shamshabad.”