AIA pledges support to help fight COVID-19

Meeting with Minister of Health and Indigenous Medical Services Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe and a number of other senior officials of the Ministry of Health along with AIA CEO Nikhil Advani and Head of Services and Health Care Management Priyankara De Silva

• Provides free hospital cash and life insurance to staff of IDH, Mulleriyawa and Welikanda Hospitals

AIA Insurance has pledged its support to help Sri Lanka fight COVID-19, at a meeting held on 7 April at the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, under the patronage of the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medical Services Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe and a number of other senior officials of the ministry.

AIA Insurance was represented by CEO Nikhil Advani and Head of Services and Health Care Management Priyankara De Silva. 

Advani expressed the company’s desire to pay tribute to the front-line hospital staff who are risking their own health and safety to take care of affected patients at these hospitals that are focused on the treatment of COVID-19. 

AIA has therefore agreed to provide not just a life insurance cover, but also importantly, a hospital cash benefit to all Health Ministry registered permanent staff, who are on Government payroll, attached to the three hospitals, Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), the Mulleriyawa Hospital and the Welikanda Hospital. 

With this free cover, should any of the hospital staff contract COVID-19 and are hospitalised, AIA will provide a hospital cash benefit of Rs. 1,000 per day, for up to 14 days. 

While the medical staff’s primary care needs will be supported by the hospitals in such a situation, AIA’s objective is to provide the comfort of a supplementary fund that supports and helps them be financially secure, when battling the virus.

AIA will also provide free life insurance coverage to the staff of these hospitals worth Rs. 500,000, in the unfortunate event of a death due to contracting COVID-19. These benefits will be provided for all doctors, nurses, paramedics and other support staff at these hospitals which are fully dedicated to the treatment of COVID-19 patients. 

The offer will be valid until 10 July and will be considered for extension, if required. AIA is the first private sector life insurance company to provide such benefits to hospital staff. 

Advani said: “As a company that focuses on helping people live healthier, longer, better lives, we are truly grateful to the heroes curing our nation during this COVID- 19 crisis. We recognise the sacrifices made by these medical staff in their line of duty and as a leader in life insurance in Sri Lanka, we want to thank them for their selfless and tireless efforts. AIA had been working with the Base Hospital Homagama to donate protective gear and equipment to their medical staff, but we wanted to do more. That is why we reached out to the Ministry of Health with this proposal. It is an honour for us to provide these free covers and contribute further towards the fight against COVID- 19. We wholeheartedly hope and pray that all hospital staff will stay safe and healthy but, if the worst case happens, at least we can ensure financial security for them and their families.”

Minister Wanniarachchi commented: “We thank AIA Insurance for coming forward to provide financial security to our medical staff and appreciate their gesture at this hour of need. It will make the staff at IDH, Mulleriyawa and Welikanda hospitals feel appreciated for the hard work they put in day and night and let them know that the community is deeply grateful for their great efforts.” 

Also present at this occasion was Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe and a number of other senior officials of the ministry of health.