“I was shocked to learn that the government had stopped the PMGKP insurance scheme at the critical time when the second wave of COVID-19 is hitting the country. The decision to stop the scheme will disturb the morale of the health workers and will weaken the already deteriorating situation,” said Ravikumar, in a letter written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. 

The PMGKP was introduced to provide a safety net to the health workers who are fighting COVID-19, but it was stopped on March 24, this year. According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), 734 doctors have died due to COVID-19 till February 3. 

Ravikumar said that the PMGKP scheme should be extended and dues should be paid for the families of the deceased health workers. 

Ravikumar, in a tweet, also said that if the shortage in COVID-19 vaccines continue, Tamil Nadu will be pushed to a condition similar to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. He also urged politicians to cancel their political campaigns like Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.