Workers Outrage at ESI Hospital Asansol Over Poor Medical Services

Asansol. Workers are not receiving proper medical services at the ESI Hospital located in the city. It is alleged that patients are not even being referred to super-specialty hospitals for better treatment. Patient dialysis is also not taking place. According to CITU leaders, the situation is not improving despite repeated requests. A few days ago, the CPI(M)-affiliated union CITU met hospital authorities to demand a solution to this problem. As per rules, patients suffering from critical illnesses are required to be regularly sent to private super-specialty hospitals. However, hospital officials have not been doing this for the past few months, causing distress to patients and their families. Regular dialysis used to be performed at the hospital previously, but this service has also been suspended for the last few months, forcing patients to return and incur heavy expenses for dialysis at private hospitals. The union has threatened to protest if medical services do not improve. Rajesh Pandey, a 50-year-old steel factory worker and heart patient, was admitted to the ESI Hospital when his condition deteriorated. After no improvement for several days, he requested a referral to another hospital and was sent to the Asansol District Hospital. According to Rajesh, as per rules, he should have been sent to a private super-specialty hospital, but he was not. According to Kanhai Chatterjee, a worker at a private ceramic factory in Salanpur, his only daughter Adrija is undergoing treatment for a complex illness at the ESI Hospital. Despite repeated requests, his daughter is not being referred to a private super-specialty hospital.