12 of 18 life insurance claims of frontline workers rejected, no word on others

NAGPUR: Twelve of the 18 death claims by the civic body under the Rs50 lakh Covid cover for health workers in the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package have been rejected. The claims were rejected since ‘Covid was not contracted while handling a patient during the course of work’. Most of these 12 workers who died last year were safai karmacharis (sanitization workers), and one driver.

The scheme had been launched during the first Covid wave, and was discontinued last month, with remaining claims to be submitted before April 24. NMC is awaiting a decision on the remaining six claims for at least four months, said sources. Decisions on claims put up by different hospitals in the region are also pending, said sources.

NMC sources said last year the sanitization workers were engaged in a host of jobs, ranging from cleaning streets and drainages to being deployed at quarantine centres or even ghats (crematoria). Officials said the workers were practically at the front line, and attended to duties even when the rest of the city was closed during lockdowns. From handling garbage to cleaning NMC hospitals or quarantine centres, they were equally at risk of getting Covid infection during their course of work, stressed an official

A renewed claim application with additional papers has been submitted after a subsequent government resolution (GR) further clarified the definition of frontline workers, a source said. Jammu Anand, president of Nagpur Mahanagar Palika Asthayi Arogya Karmachari Sangathan, which also includes sanitation workers, said he would be raising the issue at relevant forums. “These are essential workers and have been working amid people during pandemic, which makes them more vulnerable to Covid,” he said.

Of the remaining eight cases, a source said even after repeated correspondence a decision remains awaited. Only after the authorities revert would NMC know if the cases have been cleared or rejected. “Two cases have been sent from our hospital too. A decision on it is awaited,” said a top official at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (IGGMCH).

“None of the cases in Vidarbha have been cleared. This means there is no response, either rejection or confirmation,” said Shardha Waghe, secretary of Maharashtra Staff Nurses Association. Counting the cases, she said there were two nurses from GMCH Nagpur, one each for Amravati, Badnera and Gadchiroli, and two ward boys from IGGMCH. A response is awaited in all the cases. The deaths happened last year.

A letter by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan itself indicates that not many cases throughout the country may have been cleared. The letter informing discontinuation of the insurance cover says 287 cases have been cleared by the insurance company. Meanwhile, another employee at GMCH is reported to have passed away due to Covid, a source said. The case may not qualify for insurance as the death happened after the scheme was discontinued. A new scheme had been promised for these workers, but it has not been notified yet.

Source: The Times of India