HDK demands Covid-19 insurance coverage for journos

At a time when some journalists in the state have tested positive for Covid-19, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S), on Saturday, demanded that the government provide insurance cover for them, besides waiving their treatment costs in private hospitals.

In a tweet, Kumaraswamy said: “It’s just namesake that journalists have been categorised as corona warriors. Working journalists (print and television) have to be brought under Covid insurance. The government should also take immediate measures to provide free treatment in private hospitals for journalists who have tested positive.”

While directing private hospitals to reserve 50% beds under government quota for Covid treatment, the government recently fixed the tariff for treatment in private hospitals from anywhere between Rs 5,200 and Rs 25,000, depending on the category of service and severity of the cases.

For instance, the rate per day in general ward for patients under Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka has been fixed at Rs 5,200, while it’s Rs 10,000 for ICU with ventilator for this category of patients. For others, the general ward tariff is Rs 10,000, while the ICU charges per day will go up to Rs 25,000.