Ex gratia to AP's medical staff dying while on Covid duty

VIJAYAWADA:  State government has issued an order paying ex gratia to regular employees of health, medical and family welfare (HM&FW) department deployed in management of Covid-19, who have succumbed to the disease while being on duty.

As per GO RT No. 299 signed by principal secretary Anil Kumar Singhal, Rs 25 lakh will be paid to next of kin of doctors who have lost their lives to Coronavirus. Nurses will get Rs 20 lakh, MNOs / FNOs Rs 15 lakh and all other staff Rs 10 lakh.

Dependents of deceased employees awaiting declaration of their probation are also eligible for the ex gratia.

Collectors of respective districts have been asked to sanction ex gratia immediately to families or dependents of the deceased staff of HM&FW department who had been drafted on Covid duties.

The ex gratia shall be sanctioned subject to eligibility conditions like deceased employee should have died due to Covid-19 after getting exposed to Covid environment while posted for management of Coronavirus inside a Covid hospital or a Covid Care Centre or while visiting houses of Covid positive patients.

The kin of deceased must mandatorily produce a Covid-19 positive certificate and death certificate. Other documents include valid employee identity card issued by the competent authority, Aadhaar card and other relevant documents, which will be verified.

This ex gratia will be in addition to any other benefits from insurance companies, organisations and institutions, apart from other statutory payments announced by central and state governments. For example, the ex gratia announced by state government will be in addition to the benefit under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme.

District collectors shall verify all relevant documents before sanctioning the ex gratia to dependents of deceased employees.