Kejriwal announces Rs10m for kin of doctors dying in harness

NEW DELHI: Families of healthcare professionals and sanitation workers who lose their lives while dealing with coronavirus cases in Delhi will receive an ex-gratia payment of Rs10 million, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday.

“Your contribution is no less than a soldier’s…if any healthcare personnel, including government or private doctor, nurse and sanitation workers, die while serving coronavirus patients, the government will give Rs1 crore for their families,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal, during an interacion with doctors, pointed out that his government gives Rs1 crore to the families of soldiers belonging to the national capital if they die in the line of duty. “During a war, a soldier protects his country, risks his life.... our whole nation is indebted to them.

“Today, the job that you guys (health workers) are doing is no less than that of a soldier. You are risking your life to save people of this country,” Kejriwal said.

“Those serving the coronavirus patients are no less than soldiers protecting the country.” The development comes after three resident doctors working in government hospitals in Delhi tested positive.

A 32-year-old doctor working in the department of paediatrics in Delhi government’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel hospital tested positive for Covid 19 on Tuesday, after his wife who works in the department of biochemistry at a Safdarjung hospital was tested positive on March 26.

“All the doctors and staff who had come in contact with them have been tested. So far, none of the contacts has tested positive for coronavirus infection,” they said, adding all of them have been asked to monitor their health,” sources at the hospital said.

Earlier, two doctors working in Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic and one working in a private set-up were tested positive. The health department is tracing over 2,000 people associated with the doctors working in the mohalla clinics.

A doctor working at Delhi State Cancer Institution tested positive for Coronavirus infection. According to a report, she had visited her brother’s house recently, who has a travel history to the United Kingdom.

The hospital was closed for a day and was disinfected, Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain said.

Reports, meanwhile, emerged on Wednesday that a minister in the Kejriwal government had initiated a complaint which led to the Central government action against four officers who were found guilty over the migrant labourers’ chaos.

Four Delhi government officials, including three IAS officers, were found responsible for the surge of migrants at the Anand Vihar bus terminal last weekend.