ESIC offers Covid relief to beneficiaries

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday announced a slew of measures for beneficiaries of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (

ESIC

) who are afflicted by

Covid-19

, including free medical care to insured persons as well as family members in any of the 21 ESI

hospitals

designated as dedicated Covid care centres and reimbursement for Covid

treatment

at private institutions.



The labour ministry said each ESIC hospital will earmark at least 20% of its beds for Covid-19 care to

ESI

staff, pensioners and beneficiaries. It said an insured person under ESIC, who is unable to attend to work due to Covid, can claim sickness benefit for the period of absence for up to 91 days.

The statement said ESIC members who face unemployment due to retrenchment or closure of an establishment have been permitted to seek an unemployment allowance for two years under Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana. ESIC will also cover funeral expenses of Rs 15,000 in the event of a member’s death.