Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Assures Revision of CGHS Rates Soon

Mumbai : Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, has assured that the Central Government is actively considering a revision in the rates of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and that necessary changes will be implemented soon. The assurance came during a meeting with Maharashtra Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, who, along with a delegation of senior officials, met Dr. Mandaviya in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The meeting involved detailed discussions on the current status of the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) hospitals in Maharashtra. Minister Abitkar emphasized the state’s commitment to providing quality healthcare in labour hospitals and requested urgent resolution of pending issues related to them.

Currently, Maharashtra has 15 ESIS hospitals, 450 empanelled private hospitals, and 134 service dispensaries offering healthcare to workers and the general public. The scheme serves approximately 4.87 million insured workers, and when including their families, around 20 million citizens benefit from the insurance program.

The discussion also covered ongoing construction and healthcare services in ESIS facilities in Ulhasnagar, Andheri, and Kolhapur. Minister Abitkar urged the Union Government to provide additional funding to improve the quality of healthcare services provided to workers and their families.

At present, the income eligibility for availing ESIC benefits is capped at ₹21,000 per month. Minister Abitkar requested that this threshold be increased to ₹30,000 to allow more workers to benefit from the scheme. Raising the income limit would also increase the number of insured workers, enabling broader access to health services under ESIC.

Dr. Mandaviya responded positively to these concerns and assured constructive discussions on all the issues raised. He also announced plans to visit the ESIS Hospital in Andheri jointly with Maharashtra’s Health Minister for an on-site review.

Additionally, the Union Minister instructed that a comprehensive review meeting of all ESIC hospitals in Maharashtra be organized. He also assured that the pending construction work at the ESIC hospitals in Andheri, Kolhapur, and Ulhasnagar would be expedited and operationalized at the earliest. In view of the upcoming Kumbh Mela, he also mentioned that the ESIC hospital in Nashik may be considered for an upgrade.

Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar expressed confidence that the meeting would accelerate the strengthening of ESIC health services in Maharashtra and ensure better healthcare access for insured workers.

Present at the meeting were Health Secretary Shri Virendra Singh, ESIC Commissioner Shri Ramesh Chavan, and other senior officials.