As part of its response action and to support government efforts towards containing the Coronavirus, the Nation’s insurance industry has formed a consortium to provide free cover for all heath workers involved in managing the pandemic across the country.
The insurers under the umbrella body of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) said the cover will offer death benefits to the tune of N1 million and permanent disability to the tune of N1 million.
This is as the NIA has also ordered for coronavirus testing kits and protective materials worth over N100 million for donation to the NCDC to be used by the health workers saddled with the responsibility of managing victims of the pandemic.
Tope Smart, chairman of the NIA who made the disclosure during a press conference in Lagos said the Association has already contacted the government, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Ministry of health to get the data and number of health workers engaged for the exercise nationwide.
Smart who was surrounded by other CEO’S in the industry said “as we commend the various initiatives of the Presidential Task Force, State Governments, Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to contain the spread, the NIA in aligning with the private sector would like to support these efforts.
He said arrangements are on to procure testing kits and protective materials for the use of medical personnel saddled with this responsibility, stating that the materials will be delivered to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“In line with our profession as risk managers, NIA has decided to arrange a special life insurance cover for all health personnel and allied professionals who are attending to victims of COVID-19.”
“We have therefore decided to provide the following benefits to those who may be exposed to the following risks in the course of their duties. These benefits apply to all medical personnel all over the nation.
According to him, the frontline staffs are exposed to a lot of risks and as an Association we felt the need to provide cover for them against their exposures.
“We shall be liaising with Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the State Governments to provide us with detailed information about these personnel so we can arrange appropriate cover.”
