Only 31 percent families of doctors who died battling COVID 19 received govt compensation: RTI
New Delhi: Around 500 families of doctors, who succumbed due to COVID-19 during the first and second waves of the pandemic, received compensation from the government so far, a recent RTI application has revealed.
Responding to the RTI application filed by Health Activist Dr KV Babu, the New India Assurance Company Ltd. has informed that the data regarding the total number of doctors who are beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) Insurance Scheme for Health Care Workers and who died of COVID-19 is not available in material form.
However, the company informed that the total number of claims settled by NIACL to all Health Workers under the PMGKP scheme is 2294. Back in 2023, the Company had revealed that 475 families of doctors were beneficiaries under the scheme out of the total number of beneficiaries- 2244.
Therefore, as per the recent data shared by the company in October 2025, only 50 more claims have been settled since 2023, and accordingly, it can be presumed that the number of doctor beneficiaries is around 500.
While no official data is available from the Union Government regarding the total number of doctors who died due to COVID-19, as per the data previously shared by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), more than 1596 doctors have lost their lives during the pandemic.
In response to the recent RTI, the Insurance Company recently revealed, "Total number of claims settled by NIACL to all Health Workers under the PMGKP Scheme 2294. Total Amount disbursed is 1147 Crores upto 11 June 2024. We were directed by the Ministry to handover all the pending original PMGKP claim documents to the concerned department of the Ministry. Accordingly, we have handed all original files to them on 12th June 2024. They will handle all the pending as well as future claims. Hence data is not available as on date."
Regarding the query concerning the number of doctors were beneficiaries under the scheme, the reply mentioned, "Data not available in material form. Total number of claims settled by NIACL to all Health Workers under the PMGKP Scheme - 2294." The company also said that the state-wise date of Delhi and Kerala was not available in material form.
Therefore, the recent RTI data shared by the Insurance Company on 23.10.2025 revealed that approximately 31% families of doctors who died during the COVID pandemic have received compensation from the Government.
Recently, the issue was raised before the Supreme Court as well, while the bench was dealing with a question of eligibility under the government's scheme, especially in cases where the doctors were not officially on government duty but continued to serve patients during the pandemic.
While reserving its judgment on the plea against the non-inclusion of doctors and health workers who lost their lives battling Covid-19 at private clinics, dispensaries, and non-recognised hospitals in insurance policies, the Supreme Court recently emphasised the Government's role to protect those who served during the pandemic.
Highlighting the immense contribution of medical professionals in combating the pandemic, the top court bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and R Mahadevan observed, "Society will not forgive us if we don't take care of our doctors and don't stand for them..."
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Apex Court also said that the government must ensure that the insurance companies settle the valid claims, and added that the assumption that private doctors were working for profit making was not correct.
The Supreme Court bench took cognisance of the issue after a plea was filed by Pradeep Arora and others against a March 9, 2021, order of the Bombay High Court, which held that private hospital staffers were not entitled to receive benefits under the insurance scheme unless their services were requisitioned by the state or the Central government.
Before the Bombay HC bench, the plea was filed by Kiran Bhaskar Surgade, who lost her husband -- who ran a private clinic in Thane -- to Covid-19 in 2020. The insurance company rejected her claim under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) on the ground that her husband's clinic was not recognised as a Covid-19 hospital.
The PMGKP was announced in March 2020, and its coverage has been extended since then. It was launched to provide a safety net to the health workers to ensure that in case of any adversity due to Covid-19, their families are taken care of. An insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh is provided to the health workers under the PMKGP scheme.
Commenting on the issue, Dr. KV Babu told Medical Dialogues, "Though the Government do not have the data about the number of doctors who are the beneficiaries of the insurance scheme, a rough estimate shows 500 doctors families have received it. It's a huge relief that the Honble Supreme Court have made some observations during the final hearing acknowledging the contributions from the medical profession when the Nation was going through the worst situation during the time of covid."
