Government approves Insurance Scheme for health workers fighting to contain COVID-19

Union Government on Sunday approved Insurance Scheme announced under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for health workers who are fighting to contain novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The scheme will provide an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh for ninety days to around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers.

Earlier on March 26, 2020, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman 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 public healthcare providers include 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. The scheme will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19. The Health Ministry has said, the insurance provided under this scheme will be over and above any other insurance cover being availed by the beneficiary.

FM at a presser announced, "The medical insurance scheme would include sanitation staff, doctors, Asha workers, paramedics and nurses. These professionals are not considering their health risks and have been attending to Coronavirus patients."

It said, on account of the unprecedented situation, private hospital staff, retired, volunteer, local urban bodies, contract, daily wage, ad-hoc and outsourced staff requisitioned by States and Central hospitals, autonomous hospitals of Central, States, AIIMS and hospitals of Central Ministries can also be drafted for COVID-19 related responsibilities. These cases will also be covered subject to numbers indicated by the Health Ministry.