Employees State Insurance Scheme of India is the country's first integrated multi-dimensional social security scheme for workers in the organized sector. Medical care under this scheme is implemented in the State of Kerala through the Insurance Medical Services. ESI scheme started functioning in Kerala State on 16-09-1956 in seven centres. In due course of time the scheme was implemented in all major centres in the State.
For the effective implementation of the scheme a separate department was formed on 1-04-1985 namely Insurance Medical Services under the administrative control of Labour department, Government of Kerala, prior to which the scheme was implemented through State Health Services department.
ESI Scheme is a multidimensional Social Security Scheme in India, assigned the significant and socially useful task of providing comprehensive medical care services to the worker population and their dependents and protecting against certain eventualities that result in loss of wages or earning capacity. The scheme also takes care of physically disabled workers and their dependents with monetary support, where death or disablement has occurred due to employment injury or occupational disease.
About 10 Lakhs Insured Persons and their family members constitute the beneficiary chain of about 30 Lakhs in Kerala. Administration of medical care is the statutory responsibility of State Government and it is implemented through Insurance Medical Services Department. Medical facilities are provided through 9 Hospitals, 147 Dispensaries and one annexe in Government Chest Disease Sanatorium, Pulayanarkottah. Apart from this,the beneficiaries can avail services of 3 Hospitals directly run by ESI Corporation. Treatment under Allopathic, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic system is provided to ESI beneficiaries.
The ESIC is the collector and custodian of funds, reimburse the expenditure to Government of Kerala in the agreed ratio 7:1 on the basis of audit certification from Accountant General on final account payment system.
- Headquarters of Insurance Medical Services Department is at Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram, under the administrative control of Labour & Skills Department of Government of Kerala.
- The Headquarters houses the office of the Director of Insurance Medical Services. The Joint Director also functions in the office of the Director of Insurance Medical Services.
- There are 3 Regional Offices headed by Regional Deputy Directors at Kollam (South Zone), Ernakulam (Central Zone) and Kozhikode (North Zone), one Deputy Director (Ayurveda) and one Deputy Director (Homoeo) is also functioning in Thiruvananthapuram.
- Medical facilities are provided through 9 State and 4 ESI Corporation ESI Hospitals, one ESI Annexe in Government Chest Disease Sanatorium, Pulayanarkottah and 147 full time dispensaries.
Treatment under Allopathic, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic systems of medicine is provided to ESI beneficiaries.