Insurance Scheme for Health Workers under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana

April 21, 2021

The Government of India is to extend the insurance scheme for health workers under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for another one year.

Key Highlights

  • The current COVID Warrior Insurance Scheme that was launched by Government of India in 2020 was to end by March 24, 2021. Thus, the GoI is extending the scheme.
  • The GoI had provided one month window to invite final claims under the scheme till April 24, 2021.
  • However, now the scheme has been extended for a period of one year after increasing concerns against the closure of the scheme.

About the Health Insurance Scheme

  • The Insurance Scheme for Health Workers under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana was launched in March 2020. It was launched for ninety days to provide an insurance cover up to Rs 50 lakhs to the health workers. The scheme was then extended till March 24, 2021.
  • The scheme provided relief to the dependents of health workers who lost their lives fighting COVID-19. The heath insurance under the scheme was provided through New India Insurance Company.
  • The scheme had approved 287 claims so far.

What is the issue?

When the time period of the scheme ended on March 24, 2021, GoI announced that the health insurance scheme for COVID-19 warriors is coming to an end. Notices were sent to State Governments and Union Territories regarding this. Following this, several concerns were raised that has now compelled the Government to extend the scheme for another one year. The concerns raised were as follows:

  • With double mutant variant variety spreading rapidly, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country are increasing. At this stage, the closure of the scheme will put the health workers and their dependents in a highly distressed state.
  • While closing the scheme, GoI did not specify how many health workers lost their lives.
  • Also, it did not mention the total number of claims received by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the insurance scheme.
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