Chemist body demands insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh from FM Nirmala Sitharaman

The fear of direct contraction with customers in amid coronavirus,  the Chemists put forth demand for insurance cover.

Mumbai: The  All India Organisation of Chemists And Druggists ( AIOCD) has demanded that the  Government of India to provide in insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person as they being in the frontline are also facing the highest risk of contracting the COVID-19 illness.

The AIOCD had written to the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 27, asking for insurance cover to the 8.5 lakhs Chemists and Druggists who are operating throughout the country with their staff as Jan Swasthya Rakshak.

The AIOCD authority claims that despite taking safety measures and physical distancing, there are instances of Chemists testing COVID positive, it is creating fear among the front lines. The Pharmacist or Chemists after outbreak of coronavirus pandemic have become the frontline warrior (Jan Swasthya Rakshak ) who deal with patients directly and are on the highest side of risk contraction.

The AIOCD is only organisation of Pharmaceutical traders having both wholesale and retail trade of approximately 8.5 lakhs members across the country and are day and night operating and providing medicines to 125 crore population.

Rajiv Singhal, General Secretary of AIOCD said, “government is providing insurance cover to Healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and hospital staff. We are operating with the 50% of staff availability and are in direct touch with the customers. Recently, 10 Chemists have been reported as COVID positive, and two reported deaths due to illness.”

” We have asked for insurance cover from the government although we can pay premium also if its subsidies for Jan Swasthya Rakshak. Since the medical practitioners are not available people are coming directly for medicines and with the diseases to the Chemists. It is difficult to handle and refuse the people suffering thus the Chemists and their staff are presently in high risk zone, ” added Singhal.

According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) press release, the health insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 in Government Hospitals and Health Care Centers, will cover the following:

Safai karamcharis, ward-boys, nurses, ASHA workers, paramedics, technicians, doctors and specialists and other health workers would be covered by a Special insurance Scheme.

Any health professional, who while treating Covid-19 patients, meets with some accident, then he/she would be compensated with an amount of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme.

All government health centers, wellness centers and hospitals of Centre as well as States would be covered under the scheme approximately 22 lakh health workers would be provided insurance cover to fight this pandemic, according to the release.