New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers, including community health workers, will get Rs 50 lakh insurance cover under a national scheme for them. They will be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19, which was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26.
In an order, the ministry said that “as per the announcement made under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package, the central government has approved the launch of insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 outbreak.”
Besides, healthcare workers in government institutions, the insurance scheme will also cover private hospital staff, retired staff, volunteers, contract workers, daily wagers and even outsourced staff hired by the central government, state governments and autonomous healthcare institutions, it said.
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The insurance will provide a “comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh for 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 patients suffering from coronavirus infection and who may be at risk of being impacted by this,” the ministry said.
These cases will also be covered subject to numbers indicated by the Ministry of Health. The scheme will be funded through the National Disaster Response Fund budget operated by the ministry for this purpose. “The actual payment by the insurance company to the beneficiary will be under certification of the authorised Central/State government officials. The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed by the beneficiary,” the order said.
