New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta chaired cabinet on Tuesday approved ‘Delhi Building and Construction Workers Health Scheme’ for the health protection of registered building and construction workers and their families in Delhi, a move that can benefit around 2.7 lakh registered construction workers besides their families, covering nearly 10 lakh people.Under the scheme a free annual health check-up will be provided for workers and their family members besides a range of medical services. The entire treatment process will be cashless, ensuring that workers and their families do not have to bear any financial burden.“Construction workers are routinely exposed to stone-cutting dust, chemicals, excessive noise, heavy machinery, general dust and physically demanding working conditions. As a result, they remain vulnerable to silicosis (a lung disease), respiratory ailments, skin disorders and other serious health problems. A health protection scheme for this section had long been lacking, and the present initiative has been designed to address that gap,” said CM Gupta.Each registered worker will be entitled to treatment of up to ₹2 lakh at empanelled hospitals, while the limit for a family will be up to ₹10 lakh. Healthcare services will also be delivered through mobile medical units at construction sites and in areas with a high concentration of workers.
