Covid Compensation for Govt Staff: No payment for most frontliners

None of the government frontline workers infected with coronavirus received the compensation they were promised seven months ago.

And families of only 42 of the 133 frontline workers who died with Covid-19 have been compensated as of November 4.

At least 29,975 doctors, health workers, administration officials, members of police and Rab, had tested positive for coronavirus, officials said.

A finance ministry official said the actual numbers would be higher.

“It is uncertain whether the frontline government officials infected with Covid-19 would get the compensation at all. We have not disbursed any money as there are chances of misuse of Covid-19 positive test results,” said a top official of the finance ministry.

The government in a circular on April 23 said doctors, nurses, and other health care employees, administration officials, members of armed forces and law enforcement agencies, and other employees working during the pandemic, would be compensated, if they get infected with coronavirus or died from the disease.

A grade 1-9 government employee infected with Covid-19 was supposed to get Tk 10 lakh, grade 10-14 employee Tk 7.5 lakh, and grade 15-20 employee Tk 5 lakh in compensation.

The amount was supposed to be five times higher in case the employee died with the disease.

For the purpose, the government allocated Tk 750 crore, of which Tk 16.25 crore have been disbursed.

Since the first three cases of coronavirus were reported on March 8, at least 42 government healthcare employees died of Covid-19 and 10,888 others got infected as of November 15, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Among the deceased healthcare employees were 10 doctors and five nurses and among the infected were 2,302 doctors and 2,726 nurses.

DGHS officials said the family of only one dead doctor got compensation.

Ehteshamul Haque Chowdhury Dulal, secretary general of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), said, “We think this is a conspiracy by the bureaucrats; they do not want the doctors to get compensation. We are frustrated.

“The health minister said two days ago that doctors will get compensation soon. We, however, do not know the meaning of the word soon. Does it mean 200 more doctors will have to die?

“The compensation should have been sent to their families earlier.”

DGHS Director (administration) Sheikh Mohammad Hasan Imam said his office sent to the health ministry a list of health workers and doctors, who died and got infected with Covid-19 until August.

“The ministry will scrutinise it and take steps to give the compensation,” he said.

According to data from the police headquarters, 16,025 police and 2,453 Rab personnel tested positive and 75 police and five Rab members died as of November 26.

The family of only one dead cop had been compensated so far.

“The process of handing over compensation started with this one. We have sent a list to the ministry for further action,” said a top police official.

At least 133 frontline workers have died with Covid-19, according to departments concerned.

Bangladesh Administrative Service Association (BASA) keeps track of how many current and retired BCS administration cadre officials get infected and die with coronavirus.

Its President Helal Uddin Ahmed, senior secretary at the Local Government Division, said 675 BCS administration cadre officials got infected as of November 26. Of them, around 10 percent are retired. Six current ones died and three of their families received compensation.

Meanwhile, the government has yet to provide incentives equivalent to two months’ basic salaries to all healthcare professionals in public hospitals dedicated for Covid-19 treatment.

The finance ministry issued a circular on July 9, announcing the special incentives. Tk 100 crore was earmarked to this end.

“The health ministry is identifying the beneficiaries and we will provide the incentives once the process is complete,” said a top finance ministry official.