Minister for Labour Welfare, Santosh Lad, addressed the allegations raised by Belagavi MP (RS), Iranna Kadadi, regarding the handling of tenders for the reconstruction of the ESI hospital in Belagavi. Lad stated that Kadadi might not be fully informed on the issue, reiterating that tendering is under the jurisdiction of the central government.
Lad explained that the decision to demolish and rebuild the ESI hospital was made during the previous BJP administration. He also mentioned that Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil had proposed a location for the new hospital, but after inspection, Lad decided to change the site due to its remote location and inconvenience to patients.
The minister further clarified that although the central government called for tenders twice, the third tender was never finalized, leading to the work being awarded to the WAPCOS company. He also shared that plans to shift patients to temporary hospital sites were scrapped due to high rent costs, and after a year of communication with the center, they were informed that operationalizing the ESI hospital in rental spaces was not feasible.
In a letter to the central government, Lad emphasized that Karnataka spends ₹450 crore annually on hospital accreditation, including ₹150 crore for subsidized medicines, ₹150 crore for reimbursements, and ₹150 crore for salaries. He underscored the need for international-standard hospitals in every district to serve the state’s 15 lakh ESI members.
Additionally, Lad noted that Karnataka adheres to guidelines for providing generic medicines and subsidized dispensaries. When necessary, patients are referred to 18 recognized hospitals for further treatment. The minister also expressed hopes for a meeting with the central minister to discuss combining 2-3 districts to establish a single hospital, in accordance with guidelines requiring a minimum of 50,000 members for any new hospital.
Lad concluded by stating that Karnataka’s annual expenditure on ESI hospitals should generate at least ₹1000 crores in returns, although current returns are below expectations. He assured that the details of the matter would be communicated to MP Iranna Kadadi in writing to keep him informed.
