NURSES PERCEPTION TOWARDS ESI SCHEME: A STUDY WITH REFERENCE TO SELECT HOSPITALS IN UDUPI DISTRICT Dr. Umesh Maiya Assistant Professor &Head, Department of Commerce &Management Govt. First Grade College, Byndoor-576215 ABSTRACT Employees State Insurance Scheme of India is an integrated social security scheme tailored to provide protection to workers in the organized sector and their dependants in contingencies, such as sickness, maternity and death or disablement due to an employment injury or occupational disease. Towards this objective the scheme provides free full medical facilities to insured persons and their dependants, as well as, cash compensation for any loss of wages or earning capacity of an insured person. ESI scheme is a very large social security network. The scheme encompasses basic economic risks namely health, sickness, disability, death and maternity. It is different from other types of insurance like health insurance that it provides full amount of medical bill irrespective of the premium contribution. In these direction researcher made an attempt to study the nurses perception towards ESI with reference to select hospital in Udupi District. Keywords: Perception, ESI, Social Security INTRODUCTION The ESI Act of 1948 was the first social insurance measures introduced in India encompasses certain health related eventualities that the workers are generally exposed to, such as sickness, maternity, temporary or permanent disablement, occupational disease or death due to employment injury, resulting in loss of wages or earning capacity-total or partial. The provisions made in the Act to counterbalance or negate the resulting physical or financial distress in such contingencies are, thus, aimed at upholding human dignity in times of crisis through protection from deprivation, destitution and social degradation while enabling the society the retention and continuity of a socially useful and productive manpower. The ESI Act applies to Non-seasonal factories using power and employing ten or more persons and Non-seasonal and non-power using factories and establishments employing twenty or more persons. www.apjor.com Page 61
EMPLOYEES STATE INSURANCE CORPORATION [ESIC] The administration of the ESI Scheme as per the ESI Act has been entrusted to the Employees State Insurance (ESI) Corporation. The ESI Corporation is a body corporate set up by the Government of India on 24 th February 1952, under the provision of the ESI Act, 1948 to administer and execute the Scheme of Employees State Insurance. The ESI Act provides various powers to the Corporation for its proper functioning. The Corporation comprises representatives of employees, employers, the Central Government, State Governments, medical profession and the Parliament. At the State level, Regional Boards is to constitute in each State where the ESI Scheme is implemented and at the grass-root level, Local Committees to be formed as advisory bodies for smooth functioning of the Scheme. The Regional Boards and the Local Committees should have representation, both from employers and employees. The main source of fund of the Corporation is the contributions raised from employees covered under the ESI Scheme and their employers, as a fixed percentage of wages. The Corporation may accept grants, donations and gifts from the Central Government or any State Government, local authority or body whether incorporated or not, for all or any of the purposes of the ESI Act. The following table exhibits the ESIC at a glance. Table 1: A Glance of ESIC Items INDIA ESI Hospitals 148 ESI Dispensaries 1402 No. of Centers 787 No. of Employees 13912400 No. of Insured Person 14301550 No. of Employers 406499 Total Beneficiaries 55490000 Source- compiled from Annual Report of ESIC, 2013-14 A descriptive survey approach was applied and purposive sampling technique was used. The data collected was analyzed based on the objectives of the study. Descriptive statistics were used. Descriptive statistics including frequency and percentages were used to describe the sample characteristics. Chi square test was used to find the association. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1. To assess the level of satisfaction regarding ESI scheme among the nurses 2. To identify the association between level of satisfaction and selected demographic characteristics. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES The hypothesis were tested at 0.05 level of significance H 1:- there will be significant association between level of satisfaction and selected demographic variables among the nurses www.apjor.com Page 62
NEED OF THE STUDY ESI Scheme of India is a major multi-dimensional social insurance programme that has over the last six decades emerged as the largest social security setup in South-East Asia with its phenomenal growth in terms of geographical reach, demographic coverage, multi-faceted services and an infrastructure that has no parallel. Despite all the endeavours made by the Corporation for the effective functioning of the ESI Scheme in the country, public discernment of the Corporation has not been very positive. Such as, they felt that the Corporation has not given any regard for the quality of services and benefits provided to the beneficiaries and their dependents. Further, no adequate steps are being taken to improve and popularize the Scheme among the beneficiaries and employers. Besides, the working mechanism of the corporation is also and always questioned. Therefore, this paper makes an attempt to identify the level of satisfaction regarding ESI schemes among nurses in select Hospitals in Udupi District of Karnataka State. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Sharma, A.K., (1997) revealed that overall satisfaction of beneficiaries from ESI dispensary services was only 45 percent. Sixty percent of employers felt that their employees were not satisfied with ESI services. Dissatisfaction from various services provided at the dispensary level was among more than 50 percent of dispensary doctors. Even the administrators agreed with most of the problems reported. G.Muthulakshmi (2014) conducted a study on the performance of Employees state insurance scheme with special reference to Tuticorin district, Tamilnadu. The study scrutinizes the performance of ESI Corporation and also the perception of employees on ESI hospitals. The primary data were analyzed with the help of various statistical measures such as simple percentage analysis, Averages, F-statistic, Chi-square test, Garrett ranking and percentage analysis. The study found out that ESI dispensaries/hospitals were not functioning up to the satisfaction of insured persons. The study also reveals the scope to improve its functions and turn into a highly trustful and reliable corporation, implementing better services. Dash U and Muraleedharan VR (2011) in their paper analyze overall trends in utilization and number of beneficiaries of ESIS over a period of time. In this study they tried to assess the utilization pattern of ESI facilities and to what extent the ESI scheme helps to protect the beneficiaries from the catastrophic health expenditure. The study shows that the overall utilization level is very law due to, perceived low quality drugs, long waiting periods, insolence of personnel, long waiting spells to unusual delays in reimbursement of money spent on treatment outside, lack of or low interest of employers and low awareness of ESI procedures. Description of sample characteristics With regards to age majority 153 were in the age group of 25-35, as far as gender was concerned most of the samples were females (117). With regards to religion majority were Hindus(110) as far as awareness about ESI was concerned majority of the samples got it from organization(152). Majority (129) fell in the income group of 10001-20000 and data regarding number of dependent members showed majority samples had three dependent members. www.apjor.com Page 63
Table 1: Frequency and percentage distribution of sample characteristics Sl. no Demographic Variables Frequency (f) Percentage (%) 1 Age in years Below 25 25-35 36-45 Above 45 23 153 24 11.5 76.5 12 2 Religion : Hindu Christian Muslim 3 Gender Male Female 4 Awareness About ESI Friends Organization Family Others 110 72 18 83 117 28 152 13 7 55 36 9 41.5 58.5 14 76 6.5 3.5 5 Monthly Income in Rs >10000 10001-15000 15001-20000 20001-25000 42 129 29 21 64.5 14.5 No. of dependent members 1 2 3 4 33 53 67 47 16.5 26.5 33.5 23.5 Source: Field Survey Data The data presented in table 1 shows the distribution of sample characteristics. With regards to age majority 153 were in the age group of 25-35, as far as gender was concerned most of the samples were females (117). With regards to religion majority were Hindus (110) as far as awareness about ESI was concerned majority of the samples got it from organization (152). Majority (129) fell in the income group of 10001-20000 and data regarding number of dependent members showed majority samples had three dependent members. www.apjor.com Page 64
Table 2: Level of satisfaction among employees Level of satisfaction Frequency Percentage Dissatisfied Neutral 09 4.5 Moderately satisfied 40 20 Satisfied 151 75.5 Source: Field Survey Data Data in table 2 showed that majority 151(75.5%) were satisfied, 40(20%) were moderately satisfied, 09 (4.5) were neutral and none of the samples were dissatisfied. Association between level of satisfaction and selected demographic variables H 01:- there will be no significant association between level of satisfaction and selected demographic variables among the employees Table 3: Chi square showing association between level of satisfaction and selected demographic variables Sl. no Demographic Variables Chi square P value 1 Age in years 17.77 0.337 2 Gender 2.204 0.69 3 Religion 16.865 0.155 4 Dependent members 10.600 0.564 5 Monthly income 33.383 0.464 6 Awareness about ESI 12.63 0.134 Source: Field Survey Data The present study showed that there was no significant association between level of satisfaction and monthly family income, there is also no association between level of satisfaction and other demographic variables as age, gender, religion, dependent members, and awareness about ESI. Thus it is inferred that level of satisfaction is independent of selected demographic variables as age, gender, religion, dependent members, awareness about ESI and monthly family income. Hence, the research hypothesis is rejected and the null hypothesis is accepted. 1. Level of satisfaction Majority 151(75.5%) were satisfied, 40(20%) were moderately satisfied, 09 (4.5) were neutral and none of the samples were dissatisfied. 2. Association between level of satisfaction and selected demographic variables There was no significant association between level of satisfaction and monthly family income; there is also no association between level of satisfaction and other demographic variables as age, gender, religion, dependent members, and awareness about ESI. Thus it is inferred that level of satisfaction is independent of selected demographic variables as age, gender, religion, dependent members, awareness about ESI and monthly family income. CONCLUSION No doubt, the Employees State Insurance Scheme is a unique multidimensional social security scheme in which every contributor is a benefactor and a beneficiary. The ESI Act, 1948 provided the conceptual breakthrough in the development of a social security scheme that has over the years metamorphosed into the country s largest worker welfare programme in terms of geographical reach, demographic coverage and multi-faceted services. The ESI Scheme, today, is a national phenomenon and one of the few largest social security programmes in the world. Hence, any effort to improve service delivery quality deserves appreciation from all corners. www.apjor.com Page 65
REFERENCES Gumber, A. (2001). Extending Heallth Insurance To The Poor:Some Experiences from Seva Scheme, Health and Population Perspectives and Issues, 1-14. Jagannadham, K. S. (1965) Employees' State Insurance Scheme - A Critique of the Utilization of Reserves. The Economic Weekly, pp. 786-790. Muthulakshmi.G (2014) A Study on The Performance of The Employees State Insurance Scheme: With Special Reference to Tuticorin District, Golden research thoughts, 1-7. Nyman, J.A, (1999) The value of health insurance: the access motive. Journal of Health Economics, 18, pp.141-152. Polit DF, Hungler BP.( 2004) Nursing research: Principles and Methods. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company. Routledge, NY. Sharma, A.K., (1997) Factors affecting satisfaction from employee's state insurance corporation services provided at the dispensaries, Health and Population - Perspectives and Issues. 20(1), pp. 38-47 www.apjor.com Page 66