E-Paper
Centre-state blame game leaves insurance claim of 57 pvt docs in Maharashtra on paper
Doctors from across the state applied for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package – the insurance scheme for healthcare workers fighting Covid-19.
Pune: Insurance applications of at least 57 doctors from Maharashtra, who lost their lives while on duty, have been rejected by the state government at the local level.
All 57 doctors died after contracting the Covid-19 infection.
The state government is now blaming the Centre for not insuring private hospitals, while the Centre says it does not differentiate on such a basis.
Doctors from across the state had applied for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package – the insurance scheme for healthcare workers fighting Covid-19.
Of the 57 deceased doctors, 17 are from Mumbai, 13 from Thane, and six from Pune.
The insurance scheme provides insurance cover to healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may be in direct contact with, and taking care of, Covid-19 patients, and who are at high risk of Covid-19 infection.
The scheme provides a life insurance benefit of Rs 50 lakh for death due to Covid-19 infection or accidental death during Covid-19-related duty.
However, the claims of doctors from private hospitals who applied under the scheme, have been rejected at the state-level.
The reason cited in an official document which HT is in possession of, is: “The said doctor was working in a private hospital and was not working in any local civic body DCH, DCHC or CCC, and so, the doctor is not found eligible under the said insurance guidelines.”
While the state officials claim that the central government scheme does not cover doctors practising in private hospitals, the Central government’s ministry of family and welfare clarified that the scheme covers all doctors irrespective of private and public hospitals.
Sadanand Rawat, additional personal secretary to Harsh Vardhan, Union minister of health and family welfare, said, “I have checked the guidelines of the policy and it does not differentiate between doctors working in private and public hospitals. The scheme is applicable for all in case there is any particular case then that can be investigated. If the state has anything in writing where the central government has stated that the scheme is not applied for doctors working in private hospitals, then they can send it to us. Our scheme does not exempt anyone, be it private or public; doctor is a doctor and we have no partiality.”
Another officer from the Union ministry of health, who was part of drafting and sending out the letter to state secretaries, requesting anonymity, said, “The guidelines are quite clear and they are followed. Also, I believe that the matter is now sub-judice as one of the widows of a doctor has taken up the matter in the court.”
IMA, in its statement issued to the press, said: “In the official meeting held on 11th August 2020 with the representatives of IMA, Health Minister of Maharashtra, Rajesh Tope had also agreed that the insurance of Rs 50 lakh would be applied to all the private doctors. Accordingly, on 17th August 2020, Dr Sudhakar Shinde, (IRS) Chief Executive Officer, Maharashtra State Public Health Department, State Health Insurance Society, issued a circular in this regard.”
Dr Avinash Bhondwe, president, IMA Maharashtra chapter, said, “The same government which threatens to take action against doctors under MESMA act for not providing services for Covid-19 patients, or even shutting clinics during the pandemic, is now rejecting claims of all the doctors. We had asked the state government to send condolence letters to the bereaved families and also decorate these warriors to boost the morale of the community. Instead, now, the claims are being rejected despite the fact that a circular has been issued in place for the same.”
Dr Shinde, CEO, State Health Insurance Society, said, “I do not look after the package and it is a central government scheme. It is my job to forward the letters that come to the concerned departments. The central government is now saying that the scheme will only be applicable to those who worked in government hospitals or those that the state government later requisitioned to Covid centres. I have only communicated this decision. The families can approach the central government since the scheme belongs to the central ministry. The definition of Covid warriors is defined by the central government. The director of health services is handling this issue.”
Dr Archana Patil, director of health services said, “The guidelines framed by the government of India states that only those private doctors, whose services have been requisitioned by the state government, only those would be applicable in its original letter. We cannot change it. Earlier, the claims we were sending to the central health ministry were being rejected. During our weekly meetings too we have raised the issue, but the insurance scheme is already formulated and maybe, now they are not able to change it. So we are not sending the claims. We truly believe that private hospitals are doctors and should also be covered under this insurance. To repeatedly send the claims which do not fit into the central government’s guidelines would not be right.”
She also said that currently there is no such scheme offered by the state government currently.
She further added, “Currently about 20% of the Covid-19 patients are admitted in private hospitals and the remaining are in medical education, government hospitals or local civic bodies. Of the total active patients now, about 68% are admitted in various hospitals and the remaining are in home isolation.”
She also added that the state government has sent about 76 proposals which have been received, of which 19 have been approved, 31 are ineligible and 25 are under process. These 76 include all the proposal claims, including private and public hospitals.
She added, “We have approved claims of three doctors from private hospitals as the hospitals were requisitioned by the government, of which two were in Mumbai and one was in Pune.”
Dr Bhondwe said, “The state government is putting the blame on the central government, if that is the case then why are they rejecting the claims instead of putting them on hold.”
The guidelines mentioned by the central government states, “public 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. Private hospital staff and retired /volunteer/localurban bodies/ contracted/daily wage/ad-hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by States/Central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of Central/ States/UTs, AIIMS and INIs/ hospital of Central Ministries can also be drafted for Covid-19 related responsibilities” are covered under the insurance scheme.
