(a) whether there is heavy arrears of payment to the hospitals from the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Kerala and that the approved hospitals insist on advance payments from beneficiaries;
(a) if so, the details and the reasons therefor; and
(b) the steps being taken to remedy the situation?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT (SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU)
(a): No, Sir. There are no arrears of payment of any hospital in Kerala pending with ESIC. The advance payments are made by the ESI Corporation on valid sanction of the Director of Insurance of Medical Services, Trivandrum, Kerala & Government of Kerala for Super Speciality Treatment in approved hospitals from the revolving corpus fund and not by the beneficiaries.
(b) & (c): Do not arise in view of (a) above.