Bangalore, Aug 16 : The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), which is catering to the medical needs of over 40 million employees and their family members was all set to upgrade and modernise its hospitals in the country.

To begin with ESIC has taken up upgradation and modernisation of ESI Hospital in the city and Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes today laid foundation stone for Rs 160 Crore works.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that "our aim is to see that the ESIC hospitalsl are on par with any corporate run Hospitals in the country. Five hospitals would be upgraded in a big way to begin with." He said that the 500 bed ESI hospital, Rajajinagar in the City, which serves over two million in the State would be upgraded at a cost of Rs 160 crores. The 500-bed hospital would be equipped with the state-of-the-art casualty center, independent diagnostic block, dialysis unit and centrally air-conditioned ICU and CCU units. The work was expected to be completed within 18 months from now.

He said that in Karnataka over two million employees of over 25,000 work places, were covered under ESI scheme.

-- UNI