Process health workers’ insurance claims on priority, Nirmala Sitharaman tells States
The Hindu
PMGKP scheme for healthcare workers has been extended for a year after the emergence of the second COVID-19 wave
Insurance companies have processed just 419 claims pertaining to frontline healthcare workers who lost their lives in the COVID-19 pandemic, Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday, urging insurers to expedite settlement of pending claims under different schemes. The government had launched a Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) Insurance Scheme for health workers with a life insurance amount of ₹50 lakh. So far, ₹209.5 crore has been disbursed to nominees of the deceased health care workers, the minister noted in a meeting with chiefs of insurance companies. Directing States to take up COVID claims of health workers on a priority basis, Ms Sitharaman said a new simplified system has been put in place to address ‘delays arising out of States sending documents’ that must be put to ‘maximum’ use. As per the new mechanism, ‘a simple certificate’ from the District Magistrate (DM), endorsed by the nodal State health authority will be sufficient to process claims.More Related News