Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said that there was an urgent need for the State and Central governments to focus on the communicable diseases as they are the main reasons for tribal deaths during the last year.
Speaking to the media persons along with Telangana Health Minister C. Laxma Reddy, Dattatreya said that the services at the government hospitals should be strengthened for the benefit of the tribal and weaker sections of the society. He said that there was a proposal to start to separate ESIC blocks in all major hospitals in the state. “I will ensure for the central funds for the benefit of the state run hospitals”, said the Minister. “I will request the Finance Minister to make budgetary allocations for starting AIIMS hospital in Telangana state”, he added.
Dattatreya said that starting with construction workers, all the unorganised sector workers will be brought under social security schemes. In the second stage auto-rickshaw drivers and rickshaw pullers will be covered in the social security schemes. Later Angnawadi workers, domestic workers will be covered. He informed that Rs. 21,000 crore funds collected as Cess from the construction industry in the country. But states transferred only Rs. 3,000 crore to the centre, he said.
The Union Minister also said that the ESIC would start a skill centre at the ESIC-Sanathnagar Hospital for the benefit of the health staff, he added.
The review meeting was attended by officials of the Health Department, NIMS Director and Superintendents of all major Government Hospitals and principals of the Teaching Hospitals. (INN)