Confinement expenses hiked for pregnant women who can't avail maternity services of ESIC dispensaries

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), under labour ministry, has extended the confinement expenses from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,500 for pregnant women who are not able to avail maternity services of ESIC dispensaries.

A decision to this effect was taken at the 181 meeting of ESIC boards, chaired by labour minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar, on Thursday.

“Keeping in view the rise in the cost of living index resulting increase in expenditure related to confinement, existing amount of confinement expenses has been increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,500,” ESIC said in a statement on Friday.


“This facility is for pregnant ladies who are not able to avail maternity services of ESIC dispensaries or hospitals due to unavoidable reasons and take treatment in other hospitals,” it added.

According to the statement, ESI Corporation has also approved the operationalization of economically weaker section (EWS) quota and admissions to ESIC medical institutions from academic year 2020-21. “Besides this, provisional admission Policy-2020 for admission to MBBS/BDS seats under insured persons’ (IPs) quota in ESIC Medical Colleges has also been approved,” it added.

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation is a social security organization providing comprehensive social security benefits like reasonable medical care and a range of cash benefits in times of need such as employment injury, sickness, death etc.

The ESI Act applies to premises or precincts where 10 or more persons are employed. The employees drawing wages up to Rs 21,000 a month are entitled to health insurance cover and other benefits, under the ESI Act.

The Act now applies to over 12.11 lakh factories and establishments across the country, benefiting about 3.49 crore family units of workers. As of now, the total beneficiary population of ESI Scheme stands over 13.56 crore.