In a move aimed at strengthening accountability and improving the quality of healthcare services for millions of workers and their families, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has rolled out a Centralised Online Patient Feedback System across its hospitals and dispensaries nationwide.
The initiative is expected to give insured workers a direct voice in evaluating healthcare services while enabling authorities to identify shortcomings and take corrective action more swiftly.
For the more than 14 crore beneficiaries covered under the ESIC ecosystem, the new system signals a shift towards a more responsive and patient-focused healthcare model.
For years, beneficiaries of the ESIC healthcare network have depended on its hospitals and dispensaries for medical care. However, concerns related to cleanliness, availability of medicines, waiting times, and patient experience have often surfaced.
“The newly launched digital platform seeks to bridge this gap by creating a structured mechanism through which patients can immediately share their experiences after receiving treatment,” said a senior official from the ESIC under the Union Labour and Employment Ministry.
He said the system has been designed to place patients at the centre of healthcare delivery. Instead of relying solely on periodic inspections or administrative reviews, ESIC will now receive real-time feedback directly from beneficiaries, helping it assess the quality of services being delivered at the ground level.
“Under the new arrangement, insured persons and their dependents can provide feedback on key aspects of healthcare services, including the cleanliness of facilities, behaviour of doctors and staff, and the availability of medicines,” said the official.
The objective is not merely to collect complaints but also to gather suggestions that can help improve the functioning of healthcare institutions, he added.
To encourage greater participation, ESIC has introduced multiple channels through which beneficiaries can submit their feedback.
One of the key features is an automated SMS-based system. After availing services through the ESIC Health Information System (Dhanwantri) module, beneficiaries will receive a direct link on their mobile phones, enabling them to share their experience without any additional paperwork.
The feedback mechanism has also been integrated into hospital premises. QR codes displayed prominently in outpatient departments and other locations allow patients to submit their responses by simply scanning the code on their smartphones. In addition, feedback can be submitted through the official ESIC website, ensuring that beneficiaries have multiple options to communicate their concerns.
Recognising the diverse linguistic backgrounds of workers covered under the ESIC scheme, the platform offers multilingual support. “This is expected to improve accessibility and ensure that language barriers do not prevent patients from sharing their views,” added the official.
A major concern with digital feedback systems is the authenticity of responses. To address this, ESIC has incorporated an OTP-based verification process that validates the identity of insured persons before feedback is accepted.
The system also contains safeguards to prevent duplicate submissions, helping ensure that the data collected remains reliable and meaningful.
What distinguishes the initiative from traditional complaint mechanisms is its emphasis on real-time monitoring and prompt intervention. The feedback system is linked to role-based digital dashboards that enable officials at different administrative levels to monitor performance continuously.
This allows healthcare managers to track trends, identify recurring issues, and assess the functioning of individual facilities.
“Importantly, the platform has been programmed to automatically flag ratings below three on the feedback scale. Such low ratings will immediately alert the concerned authorities, enabling them to investigate the issue and initiate corrective measures without delay.”
This early-warning mechanism is expected to reduce the time taken to address patient grievances and improve responsiveness across the ESIC healthcare network, said the official.
The initiative also introduces an element of institutional accountability by facilitating performance ranking of hospitals and dispensaries. Facilities that consistently perform well may emerge as benchmarks for best practices, while those receiving poor ratings can be targeted for focused improvement measures. This would foster healthy competition among healthcare institutions and encourage a culture of continuous quality enhancement, said the official.
An ESIC cardholder, on the condition of anonymity, commented that “If implemented effectively, it has the potential to make hospitals and dispensaries more accountable, transparent and responsive to the needs of the workers they serve—bringing beneficiaries closer to the promise of better healthcare.”
