Renovation work at the Perumbavoor Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Dispensary in Ernakulam district is set to begin after funds were sanctioned, tender procedures were completed and the contract was awarded, according to MLA Manoj Moothedan. The facility is used by around 40,000 workers and their family members, Mathrubhumi reported.
The planned work will address several long-standing problems in the 1986-built dispensary building. The existing plaster will be removed and replaced, all floor areas will receive new tiles, and a roof will be constructed over the terrace. The renovation package also includes furnishing for toilets, examination rooms, a pharmacy and a room for storing files, along with painting of the entire building.
The dispensary has reportedly faced recurring maintenance and service constraints. Concrete has frequently fallen from the ceiling, while rain causes extensive leakage. Floor tiles are damaged, storage space for files is inadequate and pharmacy facilities are limited. The toilets are described as unhygienic, and patients often lack even basic seating despite hundreds of people visiting the facility each day.
The dispensary is located on a two-acre property, but its premises have become overgrown. The problems were brought to the attention of the ESI Corporation through a petition, following which steps were initiated for the renovation, the MLA said. He also said that the issue had been raised in the Kerala Legislative Assembly as a submission.
The immediate project is intended to improve the existing building and its facilities. However, the longer-term proposal is to convert the dispensary into a hospital with inpatient treatment capacity and at least 50 beds. The MLA said efforts were under way to achieve this expansion.
According to the MLA, Minister Bindu Krishna had stated in response to the Assembly submission that the government wanted the facility to be upgraded into a 100-bed hospital. The supplied report does not specify a completion date for the current renovation or confirm a sanctioned timeline and funding package for the proposed hospital expansion.
An ESI Corporation board member and the regional director are scheduled to visit the dispensary on the 16th to assess its existing facilities and discuss development work. Corporation member Dura Raj and Regional Director M. Shankar are expected to take part in the visit. The inspection is the next stated administrative step in evaluating the facility’s renovation and proposed expansion.
