Police seek Centre’s special insurance scheme
   Date :29-Mar-2020

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Staff Reporter :
 
BHILAI,
 
POLICE personnel are presently out of the special insurance scheme of Rs 50 lakh. The health insurance scheme has been announced for frontline health workers viz doctors, paramedical staffers and sanitation workers. Apart from this the police officials and personnel are also working without the safety kits as that of medical staffers. As outcome of poor awareness among populace and sudden spread of COVID-19 infection, there were instances when along with medical staffers police personnel have to ensure shifting of the infected patients to hospital and quarantine centres.
 
The police along with the medical staffers are shouldering responsibility and without the protective masks and other paraphernalia there is an evident risk of getting infected. The police are not included in Special Insurance Scheme of Rs 50 lakh that has been implemented for three months with effect from March 25. The policy will cover hospitalisation and other treatment expenses related to COVID-19. A junior police officer on condition of anonymity stated that in accordance of ground realities the government ought to consider for making provisions in the health scheme for police personnel who accompany the medical staffers for the shifting.
 
Besides, there ought to be provision of complete protection kits for police officials and personnel deployed for this particular work. Another police official stated that with incubation period ending there could be possible rise in COVID-19 positive cases and in the fight against the pandemic such immediate measures will have to be initiated quickly so as to boost the morale of the forces who are in the ground to execute the orders of the government. In coronavirus positive case reported from Khursipar, Bhilai, the police personnel were seen assisting the medical staff for shifting of the patient and the family members, but these police personnel are without much protection.
 
When contacted, Vivekanand Sinha, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Durg Police Range stated that there is provision of regular insurance scheme for on-duty police officials and personnel. However he assured that recommendation would be forwarded to Police Head Quarter (PHQ), Raipur for ensuring provisions for police personnel in the special health insurance scheme of the government. The requisition of complete medical kit will also be pursued as well.