Written by Jasbir MalhiMohali | Updated: January 3, 2026 10:22 AM IST 3 min readMohali Industries Association petition hearing deferred to March after High Court employees’ strike postponed December scheduleThe next hearing into a civil writ petition seeking the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s directions to the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to ensure adequate, cashless and quality medical facilities for insured persons and their families will be held on March 10.The Mohali Industries Association had filed the petition in August last, and a division bench led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu was to hear the matter on December 15, but due to a strike by high court employees, the hearing was postponed to March.The association, in the petition, alleged that the ESIC failed to provide adequate medical facilities to insured workers.Jasbir Singh, advocate and chairman of the ESI, PF and Labour Laws Committee, said, “Although the ESI scheme was implemented in Punjab in September 2019, no new dispensary or hospital has been established in the newly notified areas over the past five years.“Despite this, ESIC continues to collect contributions from workers and employers. During inspections, officials check records, but ignore workers’ complaints about the lack of medical facilities,” he said.According to the ESIC headquarters’ guidelines, a dispensary with two doctors is required for 3,000 insured persons, three doctors for 5,000 insured persons, and five doctors for 10,000 insured persons.The state medical officer had identified locations for 12 new dispensaries across Punjab, including Industrial Area, Phase 9, in Mohali district and Zirakpur. Dispensaries are also required in Nangal, Kiratpur Sahib, Bela, Chamkaur Sahib and Morinda. However, not a single new dispensary has been made operational so far, the petition states.Story continues below this adThe situation of existing ESIC facilities is equally alarming, it says. In Mohali, nine ESIC dispensaries are functioning in dilapidated buildings, facing an acute shortage of doctors and paramedical staff. Several dispensaries are reportedly being run only by pharmacists.“For the Mohali region, which has nearly 3.85 lakh insured persons, an ESIC hospital with 400 beds is required. However, the existing ESIC hospital has only 30 beds. In serious cases, workers are referred to other government hospitals or PGI Chandigarh, where ESIC has no tie-up, forcing workers to bear treatment expenses from their own pockets,” the petition reads.The petition, thus, demands that the ESIC “take over from the state government the management and direct operation of ESIC hospitals and dispensaries, so that insured workers and their families can receive better, cashless and quality healthcare services”.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:chandigarh