ESI hospital at Achutapuram likely to be commissioned by October-end
The 30-bed Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Hospital at Atchutapuram is likely to be commissioned by the end of October, with the main building and staff quarters completed and work now focused on interiors, roads and drainage.
Engineers associated with the project said the remaining internal works were in progress and were expected to be completed by October-end. The inauguration could be held in October or November, depending on the pace of the remaining work.
The hospital is expected to benefit nearly two lakh ESI beneficiaries, including around 50,000 workers employed in about 600 factories and establishments within a 25-km radius of Atchutapuram, besides their dependants.
At present, ESI healthcare in the industrial area is limited to a dispensary offering outpatient services. Workers requiring advanced treatment often have to travel to hospitals in Gajuwaka or Visakhapatnam. In cases of industrial accidents, the one- to two-hour journey can be critical for seriously injured workers.
Trade unions and political leaders have been demanding a full-fledged ESI hospital in Atchutapuram for several years, citing the concentration of industries and the need for specialised healthcare closer to workers’ homes and workplaces.
The Centre sanctioned the project in 2022, while the then Andhra Pradesh government leased two acres to the ESI authorities for 33 years. APIIC, which had acquired the land for the Special Economic Zone, later earmarked it for the hospital.
The project gained momentum after the coalition government assumed office. The Centre sanctioned ₹62.21 crore for the three-storey hospital and 16 staff quarters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone on October 29, 2024.
The hospital was originally scheduled for completion by May 2026 but was delayed by around four to five months for various reasons.
Once operational, the hospital is expected to provide specialist services to ESI-insured workers and their dependants in the surrounding industrial areas, reducing the need for them to travel to Visakhapatnam for treatment.