ESI dispensary closed, patients suffer

Ludhiana: More than 250 workers have been deprived of medical service as the

ESI

dispensary number 12, in Jodhan has been closed for the last three days since the doctors have been busy in a health camp for diarrhoea patients at the outbreak area in Guru Har Rai Nagar.

Medical officer, Dr. Sangeeta Gupta said, "We have been asked to put up this medical camp and Wednesday is the third day. The dispensary is closed for three days and patients have faced lot of trouble.”

She further added, "Since the district health department has not sent a single doctor, our dispensary is facing problems.”

ESI dispensaries are meant for people who have the ESI card and factory workers are part of it. She added, “We have been asking for doctors since one single doctor and two pharmacists cannot handle so many patients. Though we have ANM and Aasha workers, they are busy in house-to-house survey. More than 200 patients were checked on Monday and Tuesday while more than 50 were examined on day three.

Rajkumar, a factory worker said, "I injured my hand and it was profusely bleeding and needed urgent treatment, but since the dispensary was closed, I had to rush to a private hospital despite having the ESI card and spent Rs 450, which is huge for me.”

Savita Kumari, another ESI card holder said, " I had fever for the past four days. When I went on Monday for check up, no one was there. Then I had to go to a private doctor. They charge a lot and we can’t afford them.”