Covid quarantines insurance offices

Many centres shut over safety concerns

Even after the government's order to open offices across the country, the insurance sector, which has been working tirelessly over Covid-19 related claims, is learnt to have halted operations in various offices over infection cases. With the prevailing unhygienic conditions and inadequate safety measures for staff and customers, insurers say many staff members have been infected and some have even lost their lives.

"With the rapid rise in cases, the employees and officials have to work in adverse situations, as there are no safety measures in place. We have written to the CMDs of Gipsa (General Insurance Public Sector Association) companies, and hope for remedial action soon. We are surprised that the corporate managements are not taking any proactive steps nor ensuring 100 per cent sanitisation of premises and providing cab facilities for the employees who are working with a skeletal staff," said Trilok Singh, general secretary, General Insurance Employees Association, North Zone (GIEA-NZ).

According to an industry source, Girish Bhargava, regional manager of United India Insurance at Delhi, who tested positive for Covid-19 a few days ago, died last Saturday. "Besides, many are learnt to have infected and are risking their lives on duty in several other offices in all state-owned insurance firms. As Covid cases are emerging in day-to-day operations, many offices have been sealed for sanitisation," the sources said.

It is also learnt that Oriental Insurance Company's Bengaluru regional office building has been sealed as an employee working in the third party hub in the building's 4th floor tested positive for Covid-19. The authorities, as per protocol, sealed the building for

14 days but the company protested and wanted it reduced. In response, the municipal authoritoes asked the insurer to test all the staff twice, costing Rs

10,000 each, to ensure that no Covid positive person was there in the building. However, the Oriental head office reportedly refused to bear this burden.

It was also reported that the entire building of New India Assurance's head office in Mumbai had to be sealed as an employee was found to be Covid-19 positive.

It is learnt that private insurer Bharti AXA's regional office in Bengaluru is closed as it falls in a containment zone.

GIEA-NZ has threatened to resort to agitation if managements do not take proactive safety steps.