KARACHI, Oct 1: The Sindh Employees Social Security Institution is spending over Rs676 million annually to provide medical facilities to the secured workers and their dependants.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, the SESSI said that the medical budget had been increasing steadily as it spent Rs365 million in the year 2002 — 2003 as compared to the current year’s Rs676 million, an enhancement of over 85 per cent.

The SESSI purchases drugs of standard quality and the life saving drugs are purchased from the multinational companies on the recommendations of a tripartite purchase committee comprising representatives of workers, employers and specialists of relevant fields.

Though the SESSI hospitals are equipped with required facilities and infrastructure for treatment of patients, the critical cases for which the facilities are not available at SESSI hospitals are referred to other hospitals for treatment at SESSI expenses.

Owing to the problems being faced by the workers for treatment at Madina Dispensary in Orangi Town, the dispensary is being shifted to a newly constructed building, at a cost of Rs6.7 million.

All medical facilities are provided to the secured workers without any difficulty and a strict monitoring system is also in place which is always ready to carry out a probe if any complaint, accompanied by proof, is submitted.

The SESSI has been continuously upgrading its medical facilities and steps are regularly being taken to remove the bottlenecks and elevating the standard of medical care.

The statement said that over 5,063 patients on an average visit the SESSI medical outlets everyday and the quantum of complaints is marginal, however, it is taken care of at the highest level.

The SESSI has already enhanced the disablement pension where as recommendations for increase in death grant has already been forwarded to the federal government.