New Delhi, July 30: The Central government on Thursday informed that it has received 131 claims under the insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19. Out of these, payment has already been done in 20 claims, a health ministry official said.

It is important to note that in the wake of coronavirus pandemic in India in March, the union government made an announcement under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package and launched an insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 with certain conditions. Also Read | Om Prakash, Additional Chief Secretary of Chief Minister, Appointed as the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand: Live News Breaking And Coronavirus Updates on July 30, 2020.

"A scheme of insurance of frontline healthcare workers was announced by the Union government. Under that scheme, so far we have received 131 claims. The claims are a bit slow in coming because the deceased's family in the initial days are in a state of shock and therefore, it takes time to sign and to fill up the necessary paperwork. Out of these 131 claims, payment has already been done in 20 claims. In 64 cases of the claims, the payment has been processed and would be done in the coming few days," said Rajesh Bhushan, Officer on Special Duty at the Union Health Ministry. Also Read | Plasma to Be Provided Free of Cost by Punjab Government to All Those in Need in the State, Says CM Captain Amarinder Singh.

There are 47 cases of claims, which are with the different state governments. The maximum number of cases are in Maharashtra, Delhi, and Telangana, Bhushan said. "We take this opportunity to give our deep appreciation and gratitude to all healthcare workers (doctors, nurses and paramedics) for the extreme sense of dedication towards their duty. They have done excellent work and today, India has reported one million recoveries of COVID-19 patients. Without their commitment and supreme sacrifice, the figures of one million COVID-19 recoveries would not have been possible," Bhushan said.

According to the insurance scheme announced in March this year, it will provide an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh for 90 days to 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 COVID-19 patients and might be at risk of being impacted by this. It will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19.

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