Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini ordered strict disciplinary action following the discovery of widespread irregularities within the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) healthcare system. During a review meeting at the Haryana Civil Secretariat, the Chief Minister directed the immediate issuance of de-empanelment notices to six private hospitals in Panipat. These hospitals were found to have recorded an unusually high number of patient referrals between the years 2020 and 2024, with investigations revealing forged signatures of medical officers on several referral documents.
In a swift administrative cleanup, three employees of the Panipat ESI Hospital were suspended with immediate effect, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against five Medical Superintendents. To ensure a comprehensive cleanup of the system, Chief Minister Saini has handed over the investigation to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The ACB has been tasked with auditing the records of all 133 private hospitals currently empanelled under the ESI scheme across the state to identify potential fraudulent billing or referral scams.
Beyond punitive measures, the Chief Minister announced a significant expansion of ESI infrastructure to better serve the state’s workforce. The bed capacity of the Panipat ESI Hospital will be increased from 75 to 100, while the Jagadhri facility will be expanded to 100 beds and the Hisar dispensary to a 50-bed hospital. Additionally, the government has set strict deadlines for the completion of ongoing 100-bed hospital projects in Bawal and Bahadurgarh. The Chief Minister emphasized that no shortage of medical or paramedical staff will be tolerated and directed officials to expedite recruitment processes to ensure quality healthcare delivery.
