The announcement was part of a slew of measures announced by the finance minister under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package.
The government today approved the insurance scheme for health workers fighting the novel coronavirus. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on March 26, announced a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover per person for frontline health workers involved in managing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The announcement was part of a slew of measures announced by the finance minister under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package.
“The medical insurance scheme would include sanitation staff, doctors, Asha workers, paramedics and nurses. These professionals are not considering their own health risks and have been attending to Coronavirus patients,” FM announced at a presser.
Centre approved the scheme with following conditions:
1. It will provide an insurance cover of Rs. 50 lakh for ninety (90) days to a total of around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and who may be at risk of being impacted by this. It will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19.
2. On account of the unprecedented situation, private hospital staff/ retired/volunteer/ local urban bodies/contract/daily wage/ ad-hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by States/ Central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of Central/States/UTs, AIIMS & INIs/ hospitals of Central Ministries can also be drafted for COVID-19 related responsibilities. These cases will also be covered subject to numbers indicated by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
3. The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary.
Source: indiatimes.com
