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Insurance sought for Indian priests, nuns after Covid deaths

Catholic leaders say medical expenses incur a huge financial drain on poor dioceses and religious communities
Insurance sought for Indian priests, nuns after Covid deaths

Family members and relatives wearing protective gear prepare a funeral pyre to cremate a Covid-19 victim at a crematorium in New Delhi on May 24 as India passed more than 300,000 deaths from the pandemic. (Photo: AFP)

Published: May 24, 2021 06:46 AM GMT
Updated: May 24, 2021 12:53 PM GMT

Compulsory health insurance cover for Catholic priests and nuns in India is essential after more than 180 Catholic priests and 165 nuns died of Covid-19 in just one and a half months, say church officials.

Hundreds of priests and nuns have been infected with the virus and many have had to be admitted to hospital for treatment.

“It is true we have lost many priests and nuns to Covid-19, a situation nobody foresaw,” Divine Word Father Babu Joseph told UCA News on May 20.

“There are also hundreds of other priests and nuns who are on medication, many of them in hospitals, after they were struck down by the pandemic across India.

“The pandemic has incurred a huge money drain on the poor dioceses and religious communities of both men and women for their medical care alone."

Father Joseph, director of Satprakashan Sanchar Kendra, a Catholic media center based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, said the situation could have been slightly better if the Church had taken out health insurance for each priest and nun.

It is true we could have avoided paying huge medical bills had our priests been covered by a health insurance policy during this pandemic

“Now it is time dioceses and religious congregations should compulsorily insure their members to avoid the shock of huge medical bills running into several hundred thousand rupees per individual,” he added.

Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, based in the capital of Chhattisgarh state, said the archdiocese is thinking of providing group health insurance for diocesan priests. 

The archdiocese had to admit seven of the eight priests who contracted Covid-19 to private hospitals.

Generally, a private hospital charges from 100,000 rupees (US$1,370) to 500,000 rupees for such admissions and the amount increases in critical cases that require oxygen and other emergency care.

“It is true we could have avoided paying huge medical bills had our priests been covered by a health insurance policy during this pandemic,” Archbishop Thakur told UCA News on May 20.

Some 12 priests in Rajkot Diocese in Gujarat state in western India contracted Covid-19 and most were admitted to a diocesan hospital for treatment.

The diocese did not have to pay any money for their treatment as all its priests are covered by a health insurance policy.

“Our priests have a three-year health insurance cover. We will claim all their medical expenses from the insurance company,” Bishop Jose Chittooparambil told UCA News on May 21.

“It is good to have health insurance cover for priests and nuns. One of my priests who died of cancer in January had got medical cover of up to 1.2 million rupees (US$16,000). We took him to good private hospitals and provided the best medical care.”

Bishop Peter Sebastian Goveas of Bettiah in Bihar state and Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, auxiliary bishop of Ranchi in Jharkhand state, are among those who feel the need for health insurance for priests and nuns.

“It is true the Church has many hospitals but remote places like Bettiah do not have the benefit of such hospitals and we need to depend on private hospitals,” said Bishop Goveas.

“A situation like the Covid-19 second wave has given us the feeling that we need to cover our priests and nuns with health insurance for better treatment in private hospitals as government medical facilities are either poor or overcrowded. Now we are searching for a good health insurance policy for our diocesan priests.” 

Health insurance is a must for all as changes in our lifestyle have also contributed to new sicknesses

Bishop Mascarenhas, former secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, said Ranchi Archdiocese's priests do not have any health cover. 

However, many dioceses and religious societies of men and women have taken out health insurance cover for priests and nuns.

“Our individual dioceses have group health insurance cover for priests,” said Father Jacob Palakappilly, deputy secretary general of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council.

“Health insurance is a must for all as changes in our lifestyle have also contributed to new sicknesses,” he said. “It is also a fact that for better treatment you will have to shell out money and insurance cover will come in handy.” 

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