Highlights
- The objective is to provide safety net to the dependents of COVID-19 health workers
- The scheme was launched in 2020 to provide cover of Rs 50 Lakh to 22.12 lakh health workers
- Since the launch of the scheme, 1905 claims of health workers who died have been settled
The ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package' (PMGKP), an insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19, has been extended for a further period of 180 days.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a statement said that the six-month extension is planned to “continue to provide the safety net to the dependents of health workers who are deputed to take care of COVID-19 patients”.
"It has been decided to extend the policy so as to continue to provide the safety net to the dependents of health workers who are deputed to take care of COVID-19 patients," the government said.
A letter to this effect has been issued to the Additional Chief Secretaries (Health)/Principal Secretaries (Health)/ Secretaries (Health) of all States/UTs for giving wide publicity amongst the health workers in their respective States/UTs.
The PMGKP was launched on March 30, 2020, to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 Lakh to 22.12 lakh health workers 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.
Since the launch of the scheme, so far, 1905 claims of health workers who died while being deployed for Covid related duties have been settled.
