Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Krishna Gaur has urged the Centre to upgrade the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital at Sonagiri into a 300-bed facility to improve healthcare for insured workers and their families.
In a letter to Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Gaur requested the expansion of the hospital, the installation of modern medical equipment, the appointment of specialist doctors and adequate staff, and the addition of secondary and super-speciality healthcare services.
The minister said the Sonagiri ESIC Hospital is the main healthcare facility for insured workers employed in the industrial areas of Bhopal, Mandideep, Satlapur and nearby regions. About 650,000 insured workers and their families depend on the hospital for treatment.
According to Gaur, the hospital was previously managed by the Madhya Pradesh government’s labour department under the State Employees’ Insurance Services. Its administration was transferred to the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment on 22 June 2023.
She said upgrading the hospital is necessary to meet the growing healthcare needs of the expanding industrial workforce. The proposed expansion, she said, would improve access to quality medical care and reduce the need for patients to travel to other hospitals for specialised treatment.
