Govt plans to insure handloom weavers health

05 Aug '05

2 min read

Union Health Minister for Textiles, Shankersinh Vaghela has stated that handloom weavers' health will be insured under a new health package.

The new package devised by the government in collaboration with ICICI Lombard, covers handloom weaver and his family for a premium of Rs 200 per to avail medical treatment up to a maximum of Rs 15,000 per annum.

State Commissioner of Handloom will implement the scheme in their respective states.

Government will bear the rest of Rs 800 per weaver as premium for the scheme that offers maternity benefits and pre and post-hospitalisation charges, besides a cover for all pre-existing diseases.

Under this scheme, the Minister informed that about 350,000 weavers will be covered and Government will incur an amount of Rs 27.06 crore on the scheme.

The weaver can visit a network hospital and no money will be paid by him upfront for the treament that he, or his family member avails.

Incase a non network hospital's services are availed by the weaver, then he will be eligible for reimbursements.

Under the existing health package scheme, introduced in 1992-93, Rs 2.21 crore and Rs 3.69 crore was released during 2003 and 2004 respectively, to various state governments for the benefit of 26,814 and 72,198 weavers.

Stressing on the importance the Government lays on the handloom sector, Vaghela said that against last year's allocated Rs 154 crore for the segment that was fully utilised, and this year, Rs 156 crore have been alloted. So far, more than Rs 50 crore have already been spent, conveyed Vaghela.

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