SC asks Centre to explain insurance scheme for Covid-19 victims

The Supreme Court has decided to examine a scheme formulated under the 'Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojana' to provide insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh to health professionals who died of Covid-19 but were not specifically offering their services to coronavirus patients.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and B V Nagarathna asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to render his assistance on the interpretation of the scheme so that its wholesome object and underlying intent was duly fulfilled.

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"The issue here raises a matter of significant public importance since it has a bearing on the assured cover of insurance which is sought to be provided by the Union Government to health professionals who have served the nation in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic," the bench said.

The court issued notice to the Centre on a batch of petitions filed by surviving heirs of medical professionals and doctors, who died due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The matter was first raised by Kiran Bhaskar Surgade, whose spouse, Dr Bhaskar Surgade died on 10 June 2020, during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. She was denied the insurance cover as the Bombay High Court found that Dr Surgade, though kept his private clinic open on instructions of the Maharashtra government, his services were not requisitioned for Covid-19 duties.

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"Prima facie, the object of the scheme is to provide a measure of social security to the health professionals because of the exposure to the Covid-19 virus which they are liable to suffer in the course of the discharge of their medical duties both in public and private institutions," the court noted.

The court allowed several other petitioners to join in the proceedings before it, saying the matter raises an issue of nationwide concern.

The insurance scheme was notified by the Union Government in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on March 28, 2020.

Formulated under the auspices of the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package' and labelled as the 'Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting Covid-19', it offered a personal accident cover by New India Assurance Company Limited extending to a number of Rs 50 lakhs.

However, the scheme said only those drafted under the Covid-19 responsibilities would be covered by it.

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