Ranchi: Over 15,000 employees, working on a contractual basis with the National Health Mission Jharkhand, will be provided health insurance cover by the state govt, health minister Irfan Ansari said on Friday.The announcement marks the end of a 20-year-long wait by the employees, who include doctors, nurses, ANMs, GNMs, lab technicians and other non-technical staff, for health insurance.Speaking to TOI, Ansari said, “The employees will have to pay a minimal charge of around Rs 1,000 per year and will be able to avail insurance benefits of up to Rs 15 lakh. I have cleared the file after discussions with departmental officials. The proposal will be sent to the cabinet at its upcoming meeting for final approval.”Ansari said the move recognises the contribution of NHM workers in strengthening Jharkhand’s healthcare services.Anuj Kumar Jha, vice-president of the Jharkhand Anubandhit Para-Chikitsa Karmi Sangh, welcomed the decision. “We have been deprived of benefits for a long time. Many of our colleagues have retired, and some have passed away without getting such benefits. But we are hopeful that soon the minister’s announcement will turn into reality and we will get our dues,” he said.
