CIVIL servants who contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty have started receiving health insurance cover ranging from US$650 to US$1 000 paid in local currency at the prevailing official exchange rate.
This follows Government’s decision last year to insure its employees against Covid-19.
Under the insurance policy, money is paid after all checks have been done to make sure that only genuine or authentic claims are honoured.
The Task Force on Harmonisation and Standardisation of the Public Sector Remuneration Framework resolved that those who catch the virus be covered by the insurance.
It was resolved that if a member in Grade E5 and below tests Covid-19 positive and/or falls ill due to Covid-19, the member is paid a grant in Z$ equivalent to US$650. A member in Grade F and above in the same circumstances will be paid a grant equivalent to US$1 000.
Permanent secretaries who have been part of the essential services and have been working since March last year when the national lockdown was implemented are among those who will get US$1 000.
In the event of the death of a member due to Covid-19, the surviving members of the family will be given the mentioned amount.
In an interview yesterday, the Public Service Commission (PSC) head pay and benefits development and person in charge of welfare issues for civil servants, Elson Gonye confirmed the development.
“Civil servants who have contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty have started receiving health insurance cover ranging from US$650 to US$1 000 paid in local currency at the prevailing auction rate. The civil servants started receiving the money through their respective Ministries,” he said.
Gonye said the PSC was in the process of collecting statistics from line ministries to ascertain the exact number of beneficiaries so far.
“Anyone who tests positive has to apply through their respective ministries. Before payment, the results are verified by the Ministry of Health and Child Care,” he said.
-Chronicle
