Chandigarh: To strengthen healthcare services for insured employees and their families in Punjab, the Central Government has given in-principle approval for the establishment of three new 'Employees' State Insurance Corporation' (ESIC) hospitals in Lalru, Rajpura and Malerkotla. It was informed that appointment letters have recently been issued to 388 Insurance Medical Officers (Grade II), 234 Assistant Professors, 1,577 Nursing Officers, and 472 additional Nursing Officers. It further stated that prompt action is taken on complaints and representations received from ESIC beneficiaries by coordinating with hospitals and dispensaries. ESIC has included 139 private tertiary-care hospitals and nine government medical colleges and hospitals in its list. Currently, approximately 11.73 lakh employees in Punjab are covered under the 'Employees' State Insurance' (ESI) scheme, and the total number of beneficiaries, including their dependents, exceeds 53.75 lakh.