After an unprecedented spike in covid-19 positive cases, the Centre on Wednesday extended the Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for about 22 lakh healthcare providers for another year with immediate effect.
The scheme implemented by New India Assurance was slated to end on April 24.
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.
The scheme is funded through the National Disaster Response Fund, operated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
A circular by the Union Health Ministry to state chief secretaries and UT administrators last week had invited final claims under the scheme until April 24, saying the effective duration of the scheme had ended on March 24 this year and the government had decided to grant a one-month window to invite final claims.
The Centre had last year announced the scheme as part of its Rs 1.7 lakh crore Covid-19 relief package.
The Health Ministry said that 287 claims have so far been approved under the insurance scheme.
Covid-19 has so far claimed the lives of 162 doctors, 107 nurses and 44 ASHA workers in the country, Rajya Sabha was told on 3 February, 2021.
The figures are based on the intimations received from the states till January 22.
This was stated by Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the House in response to a question on the number of healthcare staff, including doctors, nurses and ASHA workers who have been affected died due to COVID-19.
On whether the data presented by the Indian Medical Association regarding the number of healthcare workers who have died due to COVID-19 has been taken note of by the Ministry and any follow up verification of the same done, Choubey said the process of insurance disbursement has been de-centralized under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package.
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