Good news for health care workers! Centre extends insurance scheme for Health Care Workers!

India has scripted history by reaching the one billion COVID-19 vaccinations milestone mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as he congratulated the country's health care workers for helping the country achieve the feat. The milestone is a triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. Meantime, The Central government also extended the `Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Care Workers Fighting Covid-19` for a period of further 180 days. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) was launched on March 30, 2020, to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of ₹ 50 Lakh to 22.12 lakh health care providers including community health workers and private health workers who may have been in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and may be at risk of being impacted by this. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has still not abated and deaths of health workers deployed for COVID-related duties are still being reported from different states, Union Territories, accordingly, the insurance policy has been extended.So far, 1,351 claims have been paid under the scheme, the statement added. A letter to this effect has been issued to the Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Secretaries of all States/UTs. Further, on account of the unprecedented situation, private hospital staff retired, wage, outsourced staff requisitioned by states, central hospitals of central, states, Union Territories, AIIMS and Institute of National Importance (INI)/, hospitals of Central Ministries specifically drafted for the care of COVID-19 patients are also covered under the PMGKP.