Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje Directs ESI Officials to Resolve Healthcare Issues

By Editor

Posted on August 11, 2026

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Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje Directs ESI Officials to Resolve Healthcare Issues

Udupi : Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje has issued strict instructions to ESI officials to ensure seamless and hassle-free medical treatment for patients across private Empanelled Hospitals in the state. The directive comes after MP Kota Srinivas Poojary met the Minister at her New Delhi office to highlight the severe hardship faced by patients due to recent bureaucratic confusion created by departmental officers.

Addressing the key grievances, MP Poojary brought to light that ESI officials are often unreachable during weekends, public holidays, and night-time emergencies, leaving critical patients stranded without approval for treatment. Furthermore, rigid requirements such as mandatory video conferencing have proven impractical for patients admitted to ICUs or undergoing procedures in operation theaters, as well as in hospitals plagued by network connectivity issues. He urged the Ministry to implement immediate measures to fix these operational bottlenecks.

Responding promptly to the representation, Minister Karandlaje directed the Director General of the ESI Corporation to streamline the implementation of ESI services so that beneficiaries receive timely medical care without unnecessary hurdles. She further warned that strict action would be taken against any officials responsible for causing unwarranted confusion or delay in patient treatment.