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The 94th Regional Board Meeting of the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) was held at the Gujarat Secretariat in Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Labour, Skill Development and Employment Minister and ESIC Regional Board Chairman Kunvarji Bavaliya. Minister of State Kantilal Amrutiya was also present on the occasion.
Addressing the meeting, Kunvarji Bavaliya said that, as of March 31, 2026, more than 21.68 lakh insured persons and around 84 lakh beneficiaries in Gujarat were covered under the ESIC scheme. He said employment opportunities in the state have been steadily increasing alongside industrial development. Keeping this growth in view, around 8 lakh additional workers in Gujarat will soon be brought under the social security cover of ESIC, he added. The Minister further said that with the objective of ensuring quick, quality and cashless medical treatment for workers and their families, more than 68 private hospitals have been empanelled with ESIC in the state over the past two months. This expansion of the hospital network will make healthcare services more accessible and effective for ESIC beneficiaries, he said. The state government is continuously working to strengthen healthcare services and ensure wider access to social security and welfare schemes for workers and their families. Bavaliya said the Regional Board would meet once every three months to review various matters related to workers welfare, healthcare services and social security. In addition, necessary action would be taken for the timely and prompt resolution of demands and issues raised by workers between board meetings. He reiterated the state government's commitment to ensuring that workers and their families receive quality medical services and social security benefits without facing difficulties. During the meeting, the proceedings and report of the 93rd Regional Board Meeting were presented. Detailed discussions were also held on several important issues, including the reconstitution of the Regional Board and nomination of co-opted members, establishment of an ESIC State Society in Gujarat, and allocation of suitable land for hospitals. Earlier, ESIC Ahmedabad Regional Director Hemantkumar Pandey welcomed the dignitaries and gave an overview of the programme. The meeting was attended by Insurance Commissioner (Western Zone) Ratneshkumar Gautam, Additional Secretary, Medical Services, Manish Modi, Director of Industrial Safety and Health PM Shah, State Medical Officer Dr Vijaykumar Dhanak, Chairman of SOHM, representatives of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, employer representatives, deans and medical superintendents of ESIC-affiliated hospitals, and senior officials of the Labour and Employment Department and ESIC. (ANI)
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