Sitharaman announces Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for doctors, paramedic, healthcare workers

New Delhi, Mar 26: 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.

Expressing her gratitude towards the frontline health care workers-ASHA workers, doctors, nurses, paramedics among others, Sitharaman said, "there will be Rs 50 lakh medical insurance cover for each healthcare worker for three months. Hopefully, we would be able to contain the virus in this period."

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.

On Wednesday, PM Modi appealed that people should stop discriminating and ostracising the doctors, other healthcare workers and airline crew as they are battling against the pandemic on the frontline.

"People in white coats in hospitals and clinics are our gods now; they should be respected," said PM Modi on reports of misbehavior with medics.