New Delhi: In an important verdict in regard to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, Delhi High Court said that nurses not dealing with Covid patients cannot be insured under this scheme. Scheme provides Rs. 50 lakh insurance cover to frontline health workers.
Cheif Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan explained that such schemes are formulated on the basis of availability of funds.
It will be Center’s decision to include other nurses who are working with Non covid patients to be included or not. Court also stated that it will not interfere in this matter.
Health ministry has already given an affadavit stating taht Rs.50 lakh insurance cover has been provided to 22.12 lakh health workers including community health workers.
PIL filed by an NGO to extent the benefit of the schem to nurses working in private hospitals and nursing homes has been disposed in this regard. NGO pleaded for extending the insurance premium to be paid by government authorities at least for the limited period during covid 19 pandemic situation for those nurses working in private sector who are in either direct or indirect contact with corona patients.
NGO also sought that N95 masks and PPE kits should be provided to all nurses in private sector. The plea had also sought setting up of a helpline on which nurses can raise their grieviences or lodge a complaint with Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
Court has asked the Delhi Government to consider setting up a special dedicated helpline for the nurses.
The NGO had also sought implementation of a July 14 circular of DGHS directing all registered hospitals, both government and private, to file an undertaking that necessary PPE kits, N-95 masks and other protective equipment was being made available to their staff, including nurses, paramedics and housekeeping staff.
The NGO had also sought implementation of a July 14 circular of DGHS directing all registered hospitals, both government and private, to file an undertaking that necessary PPE kits, N-95 masks and other protective equipment was being made available to their staff, including nurses, paramedics and housekeeping staff.
On this aspect, the bench directed that the authority which issued the circular has to ensure that it is executed and implemented by the private nursing homes and hospitals.
The NGO, which claims to be a group of social workers, healthcare professionals, lawyers, retired bureaucrats and retired judges, had alleged that the Centre and the Delhi government have a “discriminatory approach” towards nurses in private hospitals and nursing homes as compared to those working in state-run facilities.
It had also claimed that private entities which run these nursing homes/hospitals “are maintaining nil or meagre inventory of requisite stock of safety equipment” and are not exercising basic precautions for safety and security of their healthcare workers.
Source – ND TV