India, April 2 -- The Union government is working to integrate healthcare delivery offered by the state-run Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) with the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), a cashless hospitalisation scheme, apart from setting up 20 new medical colleges to expand facilities for low-wage workers.

ESIC, a social-security organisation, provides critical healthcare services to the poorest sections among organised-sector workers, including for hospital admissions without expenditure limits, outpatient services, sickness allowances and maternity benefits.

Under the expansion drive, ESIC's coverage was recently extended to 15 additional districts, labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya told HT. Wi...