Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment, inaugurated the renovated and upgraded 100 bedded ESI Hospital at Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) today.Addressing the gathering on the occasion Shri Gangwar informed that the 50 bedded ESI Hospital, Tirupati has been renovated and upgraded to 100 beds capacity with project cost of aprox. Rs. 110 Crore having basement, ground and five floors. The hospital building is centrally air conditioned with inpatient and outpatient departments and will provide treatment facility in various departments. This hospital is equipped with facilities such as OPD, IPD, Wards, emergency, diagnostic services, Operation Theatres, ICU, NICU, CT Scan, X-ray and many more. More than 3 Lakh Insured Persons and their family units will be benefited by Upgradation & Renovation of this hospital.The ESI Scheme was introduced in Andhra Pradesh in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad on 01.05.1955. With the passage of time, the Scheme was extended in a phased manner to several industrial centres all over Andhra Pradesh. After the formation of Telengana state on 2nd June, 2014 , the Sub-Regional office Vijayawada was upgraded as Regional office for Andhra Pradesh from 1st May, 2016. As a result, the jurisdiction of ESIC Regional office, Vijayawada was extended to all thirteen districts of Andhra Pradesh with effect from 01.05.2016. The area of Yanam of Union Territory of Puducherry is also attached to Andhra Pradesh region.The ESI Scheme stands fully implemented in all the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh and at present the number of Insured persons and ESI beneficiaries in the State are over 16.74 lakhs and 64.96 lakhs respectively. The number of employers (Factories and establishments) covered under ESI Scheme in the State is 36,422. Besides, 4324 Educational Institutions and 944 private hospitals/educational institutions were also brought under the coverage of ESI Act.