New Delhi: The government has extended the Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for about 22 lakh healthcare providers for another three months till September as there is no respite from COVID-19 pandemic.
The scheme implemented by New India Assurance was to end on June 30, 2020 as per the announcement made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as part of the Rs 1.70 lakh Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package in March.
The insurance provides a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh to a total of around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of patients suffering from coronavirus infection and who may be at risk of being impacted by this.
Insurance Scheme for health workers in government hospitals and healthcare centres operationalised with effect from March 30, 2020, an official statement said, adding the scheme has been extended up to September.
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The scheme is funded through the National Disaster Response Fund, operated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers and a few others working in hospitals under the central and state governments will be covered under the insurance scheme.
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 the 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.
Centre propose amendments in MV draft rules to allow int'l movement
The Centre also proposed amendment in the Motor Vehicle Draft rules for facilitating MoUs with neighbouring countries which would allow movement of passenger or goods vehicles.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has invited "suggestions and comments" from all stakeholders on the proposed amendment.
Besides, it has been decided to establish standard guidelines rules for the facilitation of movement of vehicles carrying goods and passengers between states and other neighbouring countries.
"A draft notification, GSR 392 (E), dated June 18 has been issued by the Ministry which has been receiving requests from various government departments and states regarding supporting the rules required under the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act 1988, for the facilitation of Movement of Vehicles Carrying Goods and Passengers between Indian States and other neighbouring countries from time to time," the Ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, the Ministry had notified the rules for the facilitation of bus service between Amritsar and Lahore(2006), between New Delhi and Lahore (2000), between Kolkata and Dhaka (2000) and Amritsar and Nankana Sahib (2006).
"All such regulations have been finalised to facilitate operations under the MoUs which have been signed between India and other neighbouring countr ies," the statement said.
In addition, the ministry had also notified rules in 2018 regarding the movement of Bangladesh registered LPG trucks in Indian territory for supply of bulk LPG to the LPG bottling plant in Bishalgarh, Tripura.
(With PTI and IANS Inputs)
