Madhya Pradesh: Compensation worth Rs 50 Lakh given to kin of 15 out of 61 doctors only

Indore: Out of 61 medical practitioners who died due to Covid-19 in Madhya Pradesh, only the family of around 15 doctors have received the required compensation amount of Rs 50 lakhs under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP): Insurance Scheme for Health workers fighting covid-19. 

The PMGKP insurance scheme was launched on March 30, 2020, in order to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs. 50 Lakh to healthcare workers including community health workers and private health workers. 

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On the basis of the available information, 54 were allopathic doctor members of IMA, seven were Ayush staffers which included five doctors and two dentists, who passed away after being infected with Covid-19, reports the Times of India. 

The fatalities record was collected from the officials of IMA, the Ayush department, and the state dental council. However, the records related to the fatalities and compensation awarded to health staffers other than doctors were not available with the organizations or departments. 

The IMA MP Secretary Dr. Rajshekhar Pandey said, "As many as 54 allopathic doctor members of IMA have succumbed with Covid-19 infection in the state till July last year. Later the deaths were very less, and information is not with us about them, if any."

Out of the 54 allopathic IMA member doctors who passed away, twelve were in Indore, ten in Jabalpur, five from Gwalior, four each in Bhopal, Dewas, and Ujjain. These were the districts in the state which reported maximum Covid-19 deaths during the pandemic.

Health Commissioner Dr. Sudam Khade told TOI, "15 doctors in the state have got compensation of Rs 50 lakh under the union government scheme for health staffers fighting the pandemic virus."

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