New India Assurance to provide Rs 50 lakh coverage to 22 lakh healthcare providers

State-owned New India Assurance has been entrusted to provide insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh to about 22 lakh health care providers, who are on the frontline of battle against coronavirus.

This was part of the Rs 1.70 lakh Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last Thursday.

"As announced by Finance Minister Smt @nsitharaman on March 26, @NewIndAssurance has issued detailed guidelines for providing insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person for 22.12 lakh health care providers across the country," a tweet by the Finance Ministry said on Monday.

Doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers and a few others working in hospitals under Central and State governments will be covered under the insurance scheme.

Sitharaman had said the insurance cover will be there for three months. In a confirmation letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New India Assurance said, "We confirm that the risk coverage has commenced with immediate effect and the coverage will continue till June 30, 2020."

It also said that the premium payment process has been initiated. The tailor made policy will provide comprehensive personal accident cover, including accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19 pandemic disease, it said.

With regard to claim procedure, it said, simple and seamless standard operating procedure (SOP) to be finalised by the insurer, the Department of Financial Services and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it added.

The insurance policy is underwritten by the Delhi divisional office of Mumbai-based New India Assurance.

While announcing the scheme, the Finance Minister had said, safai karamcharis, ward-boys, nurses, ASHA workers, paramedics, technicians, doctors and specialists and other health workers would be covered by a special insurance Scheme.

"Any health professional,who while treating Covid-19 patients, meet with some accident, then he/she would be compensated with an amount of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme," she had said.

All government health centres, wellness centres and hospitals of the Centre as well as states would be covered under this scheme, she had said.