Cost to access, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The Union Labour Ministry will provide free annual health check-ups to workers aged 40 years or more through the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
• Check-ups are mandatory for workers in hazardous conditions, with free treatment provided at ESIC hospitals and dispensaries if illness is detected.
• The program will be financed through the ESI fund and will use PMJAY-empanelled facilities to increase the number of available beds and doctors.
• Currently, only around 31 crore of 94 crore workers are registered on the e-Shram portal, which is still being integrated with ESIC in many States.

Detailed Insights:

• Existing worker health obligations in India include the Factories Act 1948, the ESI Act 1948, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code 2020.
• The Labour Minister has not addressed how women in unorganized sectors can access longer maternity leave without a formal ‘employer’.
• ESIC camps, often crowded and male-dominated, may not adequately address the specific medical needs for annual check-ups for women.
• The program doesn't address opportunity costs of accessing healthcare, as workers face lost wages, and referrals to other centers can increase time and costs.
• The program focuses on non-communicable diseases, but doesn't explicitly recognize heat-related illnesses as occupational diseases under the ESI Act.
• Waste-pickers and sanitation workers face greater risks of infectious diseases, but the scheme offers screening without mandating proactive vaccination.
• The government needs to provide mobile occupational health units and compensate workers for time spent on check-ups, as stipulated in the OSH Code 2020.

Key Concepts Involved:

• ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance Corporation): A self-financing social security and health insurance scheme for Indian workers.
• PMJAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana): A national public health insurance fund that aims to provide access to affordable healthcare.
• e-Shram portal: A national database for unorganized sector workers to facilitate social security benefits.
• OSH (Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions) Code 2020: Legislation consolidating and updating laws related to workplace safety and health.