NEW DELHI: The central government on Tuesday announced the extension of the insurance scheme for an estimated 22.12 lakh health workers, including community and private health workers, performing COVID-19 duties by another 180 days.
So far, 1905 claims of health workers, who died while performing COVID-19 related duties, have been settled, the Union health ministry said.
In a statement, the health ministry said the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package' (PMGKP) scheme, which was to end on Tuesday, has been extended for 180 days.
“It has been decided to extend the policy to continue to provide the safety net to the dependents of health workers who are deputed to take care of COVID-19 patients,” it added.
In this regard, the ministry said, a letter has been sent to all the states and Union territories on Tuesday.
The scheme was launched on March 30, 2020, “to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh to 22.12 lakh healthcare providers including community health workers and private health workers who may have been in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and may be at risk of being impacted by this.”
“Further, on account of the unprecedented situation, private hospital staff/retired/ volunteer/local urban bodies/contract/daily wage/ad-hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by states/central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of central/states/UTs, AIIMS & institutes of national importance/hospitals of central ministries specifically drafted for the care of COVID-19 patients are also covered under the PMGKP,” the statement added.
This is the second time the scheme has been extended.