Covid-19: Neiphiu Rio announces 10 lac more for health workers’ insurance

Insurance for health workers who would treat Covid-19 patients now a colossal INR 60 lakh

Dimapur, April 2 (EMN): The chief minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio has announced an additional 10 lakh to the previously announced INR 50 lakh insurance scheme from the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for health workers.

The insurance is for health professionals fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

The chief minister tweeted the announcement on April 2 stating that the Nagaland government will add the fund in the event a health worker faces any accident when treating Covid-19 patients in government hospitals and healthcare centers.

Rio’s text read: “In addition to the ₹50 Lac insurance scheme under #PradhanMantriGaribKalyanYojana for health workers fighting #COVID19 in Govt. hospitals and health care centers, the #Nagaland govt. will add ₹10Lac in the event of some accident while treating #COVID2019 patients.”

In addition to the ₹50Lac insurance scheme under #PradhanMantriGaribKalyanYojana for health workers fighting #COVID19 in Govt. hospitals and health care centers, the #Nagaland govt. will add ₹10Lac in the event of some accident while treating #COVID2019 patients. @PMOIndia

— Neiphiu Rio (@Neiphiu_Rio) April 2, 2020

The Central government had in March this year approved the insurance scheme for health workers fighting the novel coronavirus.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced on March 26 a INR 50 lakh insurance cover per person for frontline health workers involved in managing the Coronavirus outbreak.

The announcement was part of a slew of measures announced by the Finance minister from the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package.

The ‘Safai karamcharis’ or sanitation workers, ward-boys, nurses, Accredited Social Health Activist workers, paramedics, technicians, doctors and specialists and other health workers would be covered by the insurance scheme, updates stated.

Any health professional who meets with ‘some accident’ while treating Covid-19 patients will be compensated with a financial amount of INR 50 lakh from the scheme.

The Nagaland government’s INR 10 lac now adds to the central government’s input to a colossal INR 60 lakh.

All government health centres, wellness centres, and hospitals of the central government and the state establishments would be covered by the scheme.