Govt approves Rs 25 lakh additional ex-gratia in case of death of healthcare workers due to COVID-19

Srinagar, Aug 14: The Jammu and Kashmir government today approved an additional ex-gratia of Rs.25.00 lakh in case of death of healthcare worker due to COVID-19. According to an order by the Health and Medical Education department, issued in this regard, an ex-gratia of Rupees Twenty Five Lakh only, shall be payable to the dependent members/legal heirs of those Healthcare workers, including community health workers who may lose their lives as a result of being in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and who may be at risk of being impacted by this disease. The classification of Health care workers for this purpose shall be the same as provided by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India under the “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers fighting COVID-19”. Pertinently, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has announced the “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers fighting COVID-19”, for providing an insurance cover of Rs.50.00 lakh for Healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and who may be at risk of being impacted by this Pandemic. Also, on account of the unprecedented situation, private hospital staff, retired volunteer/ local urban bodies/ contractual /daily wager/ ad-hoc /outsourced staff requisitioned by the State/ Central Hospitals/ autonomous hospitals of Central / States / UTS, AIIMS and INIS/ hospitals of Central Ministries are covered under the said insurance scheme. The order said that the matter regarding providing of ex-gratia to the Health Care Workers, in addition to the Insurance Cover under “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package”, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, was discussed in a meeting chaired by the Lieutenant Governor, J&K and a proposal was accordingly submitted that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir like some other states may also consider providing additional ex-gratia of Rs. 25.00 lakh posthumously, in respect of Health care workers, which will be in addition to the insurance cover of Rs. 50.00 lakh for Healthcare providers approved by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare so that the Healthcare workers in UT of Jammu and Kashmir get a total amount of Rs.75.00 lakh, posthumously. This order shall remain in force till the validity of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme announced by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.