Gandhinagar, Aug 2026 : Employees covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Gujarat and their dependent family members will now have wider access to tertiary and super-speciality medical treatment, following the signing of agreements with six additional healthcare institutions across the state.
The Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Labour and Employment Department and ESIC-Gujarat at a ceremony in Gandhinagar on Thursday in the presence of Gujarat Labour and Employment Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya. The agreements are aimed at strengthening the healthcare infrastructure available to insured workers and their families, particularly for serious illnesses, emergencies and specialised medical requirements.
Under the new arrangements, eligible ESIC beneficiaries will be able to receive treatment at the empanelled institutions, with the expenses covered under the ESIC scheme in accordance with applicable rules and eligibility conditions. The treatment will be provided without a prescribed financial ceiling, offering greater financial protection to families facing the high costs often associated with complex medical procedures and prolonged hospitalisation.
The six institutions brought into the expanded network are Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital and Research Centre in Dharampur, Valsad; Shrimad Rajchandra Sarvamangal Hospital and C. U. Shah Medical College in Surendranagar; Shri Giriraj Hospital, a unit of Shri Giriraj Lifecare Private Limited, in Rajkot; Gokul Lifecare Private Limited in Rajkot; N. M. Virani Wockhardt Hospital Limited; and Dr Bhatt Pathology Laboratory in Rajkot.
Addressing the gathering, Bavaliya said the health and well-being of workers were fundamental to economic growth and nation-building. He said healthy workers formed the foundation of a strong economy and that the latest initiative would make quality healthcare more accessible to workers and their families while reducing the financial burden arising from serious medical conditions.
The minister said ESIC-registered workers and their dependents would be able to access specialised treatment based on their healthcare needs. He also urged hospital administrators, doctors, pathologists and government officials to approach the treatment of workers with sensitivity and compassion.
Bavaliya directed officials to ensure that ESIC funds were utilised properly and exclusively for the welfare of insured workers and their families. He stressed the need for strong safeguards to prevent misuse of funds or resources at any level.
Joint Secretary of the Labour, Skill Development and Employment Department Tejas Soni said the Gujarat government was implementing several initiatives aimed at the socio-economic welfare of more than 1.25 crore workers across the organised, unorganised and agricultural sectors.
He said the latest MoUs would further strengthen Gujarat’s ESIC healthcare network and improve access to specialised medical services for beneficiaries across different regions of the state.
ESIC Gujarat Regional Director Hemantkumar Pandey said the organisation was continuously working to expand its network of tertiary and super-speciality healthcare providers. With the addition of the latest six agreements, ESIC Gujarat has now signed 32 MoUs with healthcare institutions. Of these, 26 agreements had been signed earlier with 13 government hospitals and other healthcare institutions.
The existing network includes prominent facilities such as the U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre, GMERS hospitals, the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre and AIIMS Rajkot.
Gujarat currently has ESIC hospitals at Bapunagar, Ankleshwar, Naroda and Vapi. The 220-bed ESIC Hospital in Surat, inaugurated in June this year, is expected to benefit around 3.20 lakh insured persons and 12.16 lakh beneficiaries in the region.
The state government has also initiated the process of signing MoUs with another 45 hospitals and healthcare institutions across Gujarat. Once completed, the additional tie-ups are expected to significantly expand the availability of specialised and advanced medical treatment for ESIC beneficiaries.
ESIC State Medical Officer Vijay Dhanak, along with senior ESIC officials, representatives of empanelled healthcare institutions, doctors, pathologists and hospital administrators, attended the MoU exchange ceremony.
