The ground breaking ceremony for a Rs 110 crore Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Hospital coming up at the Sambamurty Nagar in Kakinada was performed on Wednesday.
Union Minister of state for Labour and Employment Santhosh Kumar Gangwar took part in the 'bhoomi pooja' for the 100-bed hospital to be set up in an area of six acres.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that the Centre was according top priority for the welfare of 3.5 crore workers covered under the Employees State Insurance (ESI) scheme and their 12 crore family members.
He complimented that ESI hospitals in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, especially the one in Hyderabad, for effective functioning.
Assuring that the central government would extend all assistance for the development of these hospitals, he said that the ESI fortnight was being observed from February 24 to March 10 and advised the workers to make best use of the services rendered by the corporation.
Andhra Pradesh Minister for Labour and Employment Gummanur Jayaram said Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy was focusing on health care and launched schemes, including eye testing and treatment programme "Kanti Velugu".
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Revenue Pilli Subhas Chandra Bose urged the Union Minister to develop the proposed ESI hospital in Kakinada as a super speciality hospital and research center for treatment of cancer.
Just last week, the Vigilance and Enforcement Department of Andhra Pradesh revealed massive financial irregularities allegedly carried out by the directors of the Insurance Medical Services (IMS), in the procurement of medical supplies for ESI (Employees State Insurance) hospitals in the state.
Investigation officials said that three Directors of IMS, Dr B Ravi Kumar, Dr CK Ramesh Kumar and Dr G Vijaya Kumar were found to have procured medical supplies worth Rs 975.79 crore in violation of state government guidelines, in the past five years.