New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS): The Central government has made a provision under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package for the frontline health workers fighting the Covid-19 battle.

The scheme provides an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh to the healthcare providers and community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of Covid-19 patients and at risk of being impacted by this.

It will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting Covid-19.

Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare) Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The scheme also covers private hospital staff, retired volunteer, local urban bodies, contract, daily wage, ad-hoc, outsourced staff requisitioned by states and central hospitals and autonomous hospitals of central, states and UTs, AIIMS and INIs, hospitals of Central Ministries drafted for Covid-19 related responsibilities.

The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary.

In addition for treatment of those affected by COVID, Government is implementing Ayushman Bharat -- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to provide health cover of Rs. five lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to around 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families, approx. 50 crore Individuals, as per Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.

To effectively cover Ayushman Bharat -- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana beneficiaries for testing and treatment of Covid-19, packages for 'Testing for Covid-19' and 'Treatment of Covid-19' have been notified.