The government has approved the ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package’, an insurance scheme for the health workers who are fighting the Covid 19 pandemic in the country. The benefit of the package is estimated to reach 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 Coronavirus patients and who may be at risk of being impacted by it.

Under the scheme, an insurance cover of Rs. 50 lakh will be provided for a period of 90 days. Importantly, the scheme will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19.

The coverage under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package will also be provided to the 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 & INIs/ hospitals of Central Ministries subject to numbers indicated by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Further, the insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary.