NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Friday approved financial assistance of Rs 1 crore each to the families of 17 employees who were deployed for COVID-19 duties and died by contracting the disease during the discharge of their duties. The approval of CM Arvind Kejriwal came on the recommendation of a group of ministers.
The Delhi government stated that it has been providing a compensation amount of `1 crore to the families of corona warriors. The CM believes that till their last breath, these employees served the citizens of Delhi.
“The government salutes such workers who have served the citizens of Delhi relentlessly. There is no compensation for anyone’s life, but I am hopeful that this assistance will provide some ease to their families,” the CM said.
Families that would be considered for the grant of ex-gratia payment will include those working in government hospitals/health facilities where employees were at high risk of infection from COVID-19 patients visiting such facilities.
The doctors and paramedical staff working in government health facilities in treating the patients or involved in the treatment of Covid patients would be considered on Covid duty. Such doctors and paramedical staff would, therefore, be entitled to benefit under the scheme.
Likewise, doctors and paramedical staff working in non-government health hospitals that were designated Covid hospitals/facilities or whose beds were requisitioned/reserved by it for managing Covid would also be considered on Covid duty.
Covid management also involves vaccination or distribution of rations through special centres established in the context of Covid or enforcement in containment zones, and therefore, the staff specifically deployed by an order for aforesaid work are also to be considered on Covid duty.