Frontline workers to get hazard allowance

KATHMANDU, JUNE 3

The Government of Nepal has published ‘Hazard Allowance Management Order for Human Resources Involved in the Treatment of COVID-19 Infection’ in Nepal Gazette for its implementation.

The order aims to provide hazard allowance to the human resources involved in the identification, prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 as per Section 2 of the Infectious Disease Act, 1964. The hazard allowance shall be entitled to human resources such as doctors, nurses, paramedics, lab workers, ambulance drivers and helpers, security personnel, sanitation worker and administrative staff, among other employees and staffers, who have been directly or indirectly involved in the prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 infection.

The Ministry of Health and Population or the Department of Health Services shall provide the hazard allowance to eligible human resources.

The concerned agency deputing human resources for identification, prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 infection may itself manage the hazard allowance and submit all necessary documents to the MoHP or the Department for reimbursement.

According to the order, 100 per cent of basic pay prescribed by the Government of Nepal shall be provided to human resources directly involved in the treatment of patients.

Similarly, human resources indirectly involved in the treatment of COVID-19 shall get 75 per cent of basic pay. In the case of human resources deputed to health the desk set up at Tribhuvan International Airport and border crossing points with India and China, they shall be entitled to 50 per cent of basic pay.

The MoHP will be responsible for carrying out monitoring to check if the hazard allowance has been implemented or misused. The period of hazard allowance will be effective from January 14 to the date of declaration of elimination of the virus.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 4, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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