The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to all regularly employed doctors in the state, in the event that they succumb to the coronavirus, while discharging COVID-19 duties. The order was issued by the Principal Secretary of Andhra Pradesh’s Health and Family Welfare department, Anil Kumar Singhal, on Monday
“The government after careful examination hereby accords permission to the District Collectors in the state for the sanction of an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the immediate dependents of the deceased regular employees who were drafted to COVID-19 duties and were exposed to COVID-19,” said Singhal. The government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for doctors, Rs 20 lakh for staff nurses and Rs 10 lakh for other medical staff.
“The Government has accorded permission to the District Collectors in the State for sanction of an Ex-gratia to the immediate dependents of the deceased regular employees of the following categories of HM&FW Department who were drafted to Covid duties and exposed to Covid-19,” an official statement said.
Andhra Pradesh on Monday reported 4,549 new COVID-19 cases, 10,114 recoveries and 59 deaths, taking the total positive cases in the state to 18,14,393. This includes 17,22,381 recoveries and 11,999 deaths. There are currently 80,013 active cases in the state.
“This ex-gratia is in addition to any other benefit from insurance companies, organisations and institutions and other statutory payments by the Union and state governments,” Singhal noted. Respective District Collectors have been entrusted with the responsibility of verifying the relevant documents before sanctioning the ex-gratia. The order comes less than a week after Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas assured protesting junior doctors in the state of meeting their demands.
The junior doctors had also demanded that Kandikatla Rosy, a house surgeon at Eluru’s Ashram Hospital who succumbed to COVID-19 should be the first beneficiary of this ex-gratia. However, there is no clarity if this was the case.
East Godavari Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy on Wednesday handed over a cheque of ₹25 lakh to the family members of Kandikatla Roji, a house surgeon who succumbed to COVID-19 while undergoing medical treatment on June 1.
Dr. Roji served as house surgeon at the Ashram Medical College in Eluru town in West Godavari district. She died at the same hospital after contracting COVID-19. She had reportedly been infected by the virus while treating COVID patients
“The ex-gratia of ₹25 lakh was handed over to her family members from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” said Mr. Muralidhar during the meeting at the Collectorate here.
