Asansol ESI Hospital set for upgrade to ESIC Medical College
ESI Hospital
Kolkata: Asansol is set to get its first medical college after a long-pending Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to facilitate the transfer of ESI Hospital, Asansol, from the West Bengal government to the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
The MoU paves the way for the upgradation of the existing ESI Hospital into an ESIC Medical College and Hospital, marking a significant step towards strengthening healthcare and medical education in the Asansol-Durgapur industrial belt.
An application has also been submitted to the National Medical Commission (NMC) seeking approval to commence an MBBS programme with 50 seats. Admissions have been proposed from the 2026–27 academic session, subject to regulatory approval.
Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje confirmed the signing of the MoU while replying to an unstarred question raised by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, reports the Daily.
The minister said the proposed ESIC Medical College would provide wards of Insured Persons (IPs) an opportunity to secure admission under the Ward of Insured Persons quota, in accordance with the prevailing admission policy.
According to the Millennium Post, “Further, the institution will significantly enhance access to quality tertiary healthcare for insured workers and their dependents in the Asansol-Durgapur industrial belt, strengthen the availability of skilled medical professionals, improve healthcare infrastructure, and support better health outcomes through medical education, research, and advanced patient care,” the minister said.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that In a major step towards strengthening healthcare infrastructure for insured workers and their dependants under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Scheme, ESI Hospital, Asansol, has been handed over by the Government of West Bengal to the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Ministry of Labour & Employment, for its proposed upgradation into an ESIC Medical College and Hospital.
In a recent post on X, BJP West Bengal State General Secretary Locket Chatterjee welcomed the development, saying the proposed upgrade of the ESI Hospital into an ESIC Medical College and Hospital would create new opportunities for advanced medical treatment and education in the industrial region.
The development is expected to give a major boost to both medical education and specialised healthcare services in Asansol and the surrounding industrial belt.
Also Read:ESI Hospital Asansol to be ugraded into ESIC Medical College and Hospital
