Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for doctors, healthcare workers fighting coronavirus

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for healthcare workers who are at the forefront of dealing with coronavirus pandemic. Doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers and a few others will be covered by the insurance. Sitharaman said the insurance cover will be there for three months. “Hopefully, we would be able to contain the virus in this period,” she added. Sitharaman said the government has finalised an economic stimulus package to deal with the impact of 21-day countrywide lockdown to prevent spread of the virus. She also said the government will provide a relief package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore to the underprivileged, poor and migrant workers affected by the lockdown amid COVID-19 outbreak. The scheme has been named Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Scheme. The number of coronavirus cases climbed to 649 in India on Thursday and the death toll rose to 13, according to the Health Ministry.