The Nigerian Insurers Association says it will provide N1m compensation for any medical practitioner who dies or suffers permanent disability while taking care of COVID-19 patients.
The Chairman, Nigerian Insurers Association, Mr Tope Smart, disclosed this while expressing the industry’s commitment to join other stakeholders in the COVID-19 eradication.
He also said that the sector would donate materials worth over N100m to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The chairman said, “In line with our profession as risk managers, the 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- N1m for death and permanent disability.”
As the frontline employees were exposed to a lot of risks, he said the NIA felt the need to provide cover for them against their exposure.
He added, “Arrangements are on to procure test kits and protective materials for the use of medical personnel saddled with this responsibility.
“The materials will be delivered to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.”
Smart said that as an association, it was monitoring the developments on COVID-19 since the outbreak of the virus in China in late 2019.
He said the industry became more concerned immediately after the announcement of the index case in Nigeria on February 27.
The association commended the efforts of the Federal Government and the various state governments for the proactive way the epidemic had been handled, which had reduced fatalities to the bearest minimum.
He said, “We commend the various initiatives of the Presidential Task Force, State Goverments, ministry of health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to contain the spread, the Nigerian Insurers Association in aligning with the private sector would like to support these efforts.”