2.7 lakh Delhi construction workers to get 24x7 healthcare, cashless treatment, Rs 2 lakh cover

Around 2.7 lakh registered construction workers in Delhi are likely to get access to a range of free healthcare services, including 24x7 medical assistance, annual health check-ups, cashless hospitalisation and free OPD and IPD treatment, before the end of this year, according to a report by The Times of India (TOI).

The Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board has begun the process of implementing the Delhi Building Workers Health Scheme to provide timely healthcare to workers exposed to occupational hazards and extreme weather conditions.

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Under the scheme, each beneficiary will be eligible for treatment worth up to Rs 2 lakh in a financial year, while the maximum coverage for a family will be Rs 10 lakh. The package will cover diagnostics, medicines and hospitalisation, with beneficiaries not required to make upfront payments at empanelled hospitals.

Annual health screenings will be offered to workers and their spouses, while OPD and IPD treatment will be available to all eligible family members.

The welfare board plans to engage an agency to implement and manage the scheme. The agency will provide healthcare through a network of empanelled hospitals, clinics and diagnostic laboratories and set up at least six laboratories across Delhi for processing samples collected during annual health checks. Physical copies of test reports will have to be provided to beneficiaries within seven working days.

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The scheme will also deploy mobile medical vans at construction sites and other designated locations. Equipped with first-aid supplies, essential medicines, medical equipment and basic life-support facilities, the vans will have nurses to assess injured or unwell workers, provide immediate assistance and arrange referrals to the nearest empanelled hospital when necessary.

The vans will operate for eight to 10 hours a day and are expected to serve around 80-100 beneficiaries each, besides spreading awareness about the health scheme at construction sites.

Beneficiaries will also receive digital health records, with electronic medical records accessible through a central cloud-based dashboard developed for the welfare board.

In cases of emergencies, including worksite accidents, workers may seek treatment at the nearest non-empanelled hospital in exceptional circumstances. Such hospitals can be provisionally treated as empanelled for the limited duration and purpose of emergency treatment.

The scheme will provide cashless inpatient treatment at empanelled hospitals in general wards or rooms. The board has also proposed setting up a project monitoring committee to oversee the implementation and administration of the scheme.

(With inputs from TOI)