HYDERABAD, Nov 21: The commissioner of the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution, Mr Rasool Bux Phulpoto, has said that 311,000 workers have been covered under the social security scheme in Sindh. He said that in all 1.555 million dependents, including workers, were receiving benefits under the scheme.

He was speaking at a seminar organized by the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the subject of “Sindh Social Security Institution scheme and its benefits” here recently.

He said it was a tripartite scheme in which the employers were playing a dominant role whereas the institution was working only as an administrator.

He said the social security scheme was functioning successfully in all countries of the world and its basic objective was to protect basic rights of the workers.

He said that during the current year, cash benefits of Rs31.780 million had been provided to workers and their families.

He said under the head of health, which consumes 70 per cent of the total budget, an amount of Rs604 million would be spent to provide medical facilities to workers and their families.

He said that four hospitals, five medical centres and 39 dispensaries had been established in Sindh to provide health cover to workers and their dependents.

He said under the orders of the provincial minister for labour, a programme had been chalked out to upgrade social security hospitals to establish new wards and to install latest medical equipments in hospitals.

He disclosed that more than required contribution had been received for the purpose.

He said that an amount of Rs675,000 had been spent for establishing a CCU in institution’s hospital which comprises six beds.

He said a neurology department was also being established at a cost of Rs7.698 million.

He said the Sindh Workers’ Welfare Board would provide Rs80 million for the purchase of CT scan and neurology equipments.

He said that in Kotri, a labour room and a 10-bed ward were being constructed at a cost of Rs2.8 million, while in the Nooriabad Industrial Estate, a 20-bed ward, X-ray laboratory and labour room were being raised at a cost of Rs640,000.

The commissioner of the institution said Mr Adil Siddiqui, the federal government had approved the construction of a medical college for children of the workers.

He said that 50 per cent admission quota would be reserved for the workers’ children.

He agreed with a proposal for senior vice-president of the chamber, Azizuddin Arain, that the Hyderabad SITE dispensary should remain open for all 24 hours from December 1, and that big hospitals of the city be taken on the panel of the institution.

The commissioner agreed to constitute a district inspection team to oversee the performance of the institution’s hospitals.

Azizuddin Arain, Fatima Hassan, Mohammad Hussain and Dr Farooq Qureshi spoke on the occasion.