Lok Sabha Question No. 5024 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-01
Subject: Special benefits for Healthcare Workers
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Nishikant  Dubey, P.R. Natarajan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5024 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2022

## SPECIAL BENEFITS FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

## † 5024.  DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY: SHRI NATARAJAN P. R.:

Will the Minister of HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- a) Whether the Government has provided any special benefits/incentives/compensation /social security to healthcare workers and Frontline workers working day and night during COVID19 pandemic in Government departments and hospital/clinics during the last two years, if so, the details thereof;
- b) The  schemes  being  implemented  by  the  Government  for  healthcare  and  frontline  workers fighting covid-19; and
- c) The number of beneficiaries of such schemes, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE (DR BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a)  to  (c):  Government  of  India  has  taken  many  steps  to  improve  the  security  and  welfare  of healthcare workers managing COVID-19. The actions taken in this regard include:

-  Union Ministry of Health & FW on 18 th June 2020, in exercise of powers delegated under Disaster Management Act, 2005, directed States/UTs to ensure that salaries of doctors and healthcare workers during COVID-19 related duties be released on time.
-  In  view  of  the  significant  contribution  towards  the  COVID-19  pandemic  related  work  by ASHAs, States were advised to pay an additional incentive of Rs.1000/- per month for those ASHAs  engaged  in  COVID-19  related  work  using  the  resources  of  COVID-19  Health System Preparedness and Emergency Response Package.
-  The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 was notified on 29 th September 2020 which provides  for  safety  and  security  of  Health  care  Service  Personnel  (HSPs)  from  acts  of violence.
-  With  the  launch  of  COVID-19  vaccination  initiative  on  16 th January  2021,  healthcare workers  were  identified  as  one  of  the  first  priority  group.  In  addition,  provision  for

providing a third 'Precautionary dose' of COVID-19 vaccine has been made for healthcare workers.

-  A Revised Advisory for managing Health Care Workers (HCWs) working in COVID and Non-COVID areas of the Health Care Facilities was issued on 9 th January 2022.
-  Government of India in pursuance of the Hon'ble Supreme Court Judgement dated 30 th June 2021,  through  National  Disaster  Management  Authority's  (NDMA)  issued  'Guidelines  to provide for ex-gratia assistance to kin of the deceased by COVID-19'. In the said guidelines, NDMA has recommended an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 50,000/- per deceased person subject to cause of death certified as COVID-19.
-  'Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Package  (PMGKP):  Insurance  Scheme  for  Health  Care Workers Fighting COVID-19' was launched on 30 th March 2020 to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs. 50 Lakh to 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 impacted by this.

State/UT-wise  number  of  claims  paid  under  PMGKP:  Insurance  Scheme  for  Health  Care Workers Fighting COVID-19 as on 27 th March 2022, is as at Annexure

Annexure State/UT wise number of claims paid under PMGKP): Insurance Scheme for Health Care Workers Fighting COVID-19 (as on 27 th March 2022)

| State/UT                 |   Number of Claims |
|--------------------------|--------------------|
| Andaman &Nicobar Islands |                  2 |
| Andhra Pradesh           |                181 |
| Arunachal Pradesh        |                  6 |
| Assam                    |                 18 |
| Bihar                    |                106 |
| Chandigarh               |                  1 |
| Chhattisgarh             |                 86 |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli      |                  0 |
| Daman &Diu               |                  1 |
| Delhi                    |                 63 |
| Goa                      |                  5 |
| Gujarat                  |                161 |
| Haryana                  |                 30 |
| Himachal Pradesh         |                  5 |
| Jammu &Kashmir           |                 32 |
| Jharkhand                |                 17 |
| Karnataka                |                115 |
| Kerala                   |                 38 |
| Ladakh                   |                  1 |
| Lakshadweep              |                  0 |
| Madhya Pradesh           |                 85 |
| Maharashtra              |                214 |
| Manipur                  |                  5 |
| Meghalaya                |                  5 |
| Mizoram                  |                  0 |
| Nagaland                 |                  1 |
| Odisha                   |                 23 |
| Puducherry               |                 23 |
| Punjab                   |                 29 |
| Rajasthan                |                153 |
| Sikkim                   |                  3 |
| Tamil Nadu               |                131 |
| Telangana                |                 91 |
| Tripura                  |                  2 |
| Uttar Pradesh            |                162 |
| Uttarakhand              |                  7 |
| West Bengal              |                 22 |