Novel Coronavirus has claimed lakhs of lives across the world. The strain this pandemic has left behind in some people’s lives is unexplainable. Doctors and frontline workers have been the most affected by the pandemic and caused a mental toll on many of them.
According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), so far 756 doctors have lost their lives due to Covid-19. However, according to the data presented by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Choubey on 3 February, 162 doctors, 44 Asha workers and 107 nurses died of coronavirus. Many committed suicides, several were physically assaulted by the covid victims family members. On the other hand, the relatives of the deceased doctors have claimed that they have not received the insurance amount till now.
80% of the families did not get insurance money
Secretary-General of the Indian Medical Association, Dr Jayesh M. Lele said, 'IMA wrote a letter in this matter to the Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on April 19, 2021, but no action has been taken so far. By April 19, the families of the first 756 deceased doctors were marked to pay insurance, but only 168 families of deceased doctors have received this amount.
India’s second covid wave has claimed around 110 doctors lives nationwide, but none has been conferred with the insurance money.
The state government has requested that the insurance money should be given at the earliest and also to extend this policy.
When did this insurance policy begin and for how long?
On March 30, 2020, the central government had announced a sum of Rs 50 lakh for medical professionals, including doctors working in modern medicine. The insurance money would be allotted to the deceased family members after the covid warriors’ death from the infection during their duty.
Initially, the scheme was applicable for 90 days, but later it was extended about three times and was supposed to run till 24 March. The scheme was part of the 1.7 lakh crore Covid relief package.
The scheme covered around 22 lakh, healthcare workers. These included health workers and doctors from all public and private health centres, including Asha workers, paramedical, technicians, doctors, sweepers, nurses and ward boys.
Till now 49 doctors in Bihar have lost their lives, but no one has received even one rupee
By far 49 doctors in Bihar have been killed by the virus in the second wave that has grappled everyone. All deceased doctors died while performing their duty. Although the union government has announced an amount of 50 lakh insurance, not a single family has been provided with the money.
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Speaking to Dainik Bhaskar, Sahajanand, an elected president at the Indian Medical Association said, "Neither the Center nor the state governments have kept their promise. The Center has given an insurance amount of Rs 50 lakh for the death of the doctors engaged in the treatment of Covid patients. 49 doctors of Bihar have lost their lives in the Second Wave, but none have received even one rupee. Apart from the centre’s scheme, the state government had also promised to pay Rs 3 lakh, but no family got a penny except maybe one. Dr Sahajanand further added that about 22 doctors died in the first covid wave last year and only 1-2 of them have got the compensation. Although exact figures on the healthcare workers deaths from the second wave are not available now, no one has received the declared insurance amount declared by the centre.