The Allahabad High Court has directed that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) Covid-19 Health Worker Insurance Scheme benefits be granted to the family of a deceased ward boy, ruling against a narrow interpretation of the scheme.
The court’s decision came in response to a petition filed by Sadhna Sahu, whose husband, a ward boy posted in the OPD directly adjacent to the Covid-19 section, passed away during the pandemic. The court emphasized that the scheme should be applied holistically rather than through a technical or restrictive lens.
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Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Manjeev Shukla, who formed the division bench for this case, ruled on the matter after examining the arguments presented by Advocate Nishant Mishra. The judges annulled the previous order denying benefits to Sahu and instructed that the scheme’s relief be provided within three months.
The PMGKP Insurance Scheme was established to offer financial protection to health workers battling Covid-19. Sahu’s husband died on May 8, 2021, during the scheme’s coverage period, which was initially set from April 24, 2021, and extended for 180 days.
Officials had previously denied the insurance claim on two grounds: first, they argued that since Sahu’s husband’s health deteriorated after three months, he was not covered by the scheme. Second, they claimed that he was not directly working in the Covid-19 ward but rather in the OPD.
The court found these reasons to be inconsistent with the scheme’s intent and directed that the insurance benefits be granted, recognizing the high-risk environment health workers faced during the pandemic.
