OLD Mutual has unveiled a $2 billion insurance cover for frontline COVID-19 health workers, a senior company official has announced.
The insurance facility will cover health workers for six months starting from this month up to the end of September.
The beneficiaries will have an option to continue with the plan beyond six months at a discounted cost.
Speaking during Old Mutual’s donations of various COVID-19 goods at Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital in Bulawayo, financial services provider, Bekithemba Nkomo said all frontline health workers were eligible for the facility.
“As a group, we looked at the needs of health workers and the group established an insurance coverage facility for all the health workers that want to be part of it. If you know of health workers that are on the frontline and would want to be covered by insurance, please ask them to get in touch with Old Mutual,” said Nkomo.
Under the scheme, all COVID-19 related and accidental deaths will be covered immediately while deaths from other causes will have a three month waiting period.
In the event of death, Nkomo said the company will pay 12 times monthly basic salary to the surviving families of the affected health care personnel.
“All they need to do is to enter their details on the system and they will be covered,” he said.
Meanwhile, Old Mutal donated 400 overalls, 400 aprons, 2 000 gloves, 2 000 masks, and 2 000 cover shoes to the hospital.
Another company Tierra Detergents also donated 500 litres of hydrogen peroxide, a disinfectant chemical.
Bulawayo mayor, Solomon Mguni thanked the company for the donations.
“The donation by Old Mutual is mindful of the numerous equipment that we need to protect staff when attending to patients and also for the rapid response team to conduct the test,” said Mguni.
The mayor said the city had recorded 11 positive COVID-19 cases including one death.
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