Covid-19: Rs 50 lakh insurance! Big decision by Modi government for healthcare providers

In the view of rising number of COVID-19 cases, the Modi government has taken a big decision. The Central government has extended the Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for about 22 lakh healthcare providers for another three months till September.  The scheme implemented by New India Assurance was slated to end on June 30, as per the announcement made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as part of the Rs 1.70 lakh Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package in March.

The insurance provides a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh 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.

Insurance Scheme for health workers in government hospitals and healthcare centres operationalised with effect from March 30, 2020, an official statement said, adding the scheme has been extended up to September. The scheme is funded through the National Disaster Response Fund, operated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers and a few others working in hospitals under the central and state governments will be covered under the insurance scheme.

While announcing the scheme, the Finance Minister had said, safai karamcharis, ward-boys, nurses, ASHA workers, paramedics, technicians, doctors and specialists and other health workers would be covered by the special insurance scheme.

"Any health professional, who while treating COVID-19 patients, meet with some accident, then he/she would be compensated with an amount of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme," she had said. All government health centres, wellness centres and hospitals of the Centre as well as states would be covered under this scheme, she had said.

However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare later in an FAQ clarified that private hospital staff treating COVID-19 patients will also be covered.

"Private persons those who are engaged by both public & private health care institutions/organisation through an agency and were deployed or drafted for care and may have come in direct contact of the COVID-19 patient (with the proof that the service of the agencies were engaged by the institution/organisation)," the FAQ said.