Health Protection Scheme Launched for Urban Sanitation Workers

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), in collaboration with SAJIDA Foundation and Harpic, on Sunday launched Shasthya Nirapotta Scheme (SNS), a health insurance policy, for its sanitation workers, aiming to improve their access to healthcare services.

Under the scheme, sanitation workers will be given SNS Protection Card which will ensure up to 50 percent discount on outpatient department, inpatient department, medicines, and diagnostic services at 400+ listed hospitals for them.

A sanitation worker will need to pay an annual premium of Tk 199 to subscribe to the policy under which the family will also receive a financial assistance of Tk 30,000 in the event of his/her death.

At the launching event, chief guest DNCC Administrator Mohammad Azaz, SAJIDA Foundation’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Md Fazlul Hoque and other distinguished guests unveiled the cover of the SNS Protection Card at the DNCC headquarters in the capital.

SAJIDA Foundation co-developed the Shasthya Nirapotta Scheme in 2022 in collaboration with WaterAid Bangladesh and insurance service provider Chartered Life Insurance to support waste and sanitation workers and their families. Harpic later joined the initiative as a corporate partner. To date, more than 5,000 waste and sanitation workers have been brought under the scheme’s coverage.

The scheme helps reduce healthcare costs of city’s one of the most vulnerable workforces and eases the financial burden on families in the event of death.

Presided over by DNCC Chief Waste Management Officer Commodore ABM Samsul Alam, the event was attended by officials from the city corporation, SAJIDA Foundation, Harpic Bangladesh, and Chartered Life Insurance, as well as sanitation workers.

Speaking at the event, chief guest Mohammad Azaz laid emphasis on ensuring healthcare security for sanitation workers, who play a crucial role in maintaining urban public health but are often overlooked in health coverage systems.

The DNCC administrator said, though sanitation workers need health insurance the most, they lag behind in health insurance coverage. Mentioning that there are 2,500 waste and sanitation workers on city corporation payroll and another 5,000 people are working as outsourced workers he remarked, “We will make every effort to bring all of them under health insurance coverage.”

Through the inauguration ceremony, DNCC is providing health insurance premiums for 1,500 sanitation workers and SAJIDA Foundation and Harpic are providing premiums for 1,000 workers. The DNCC administrator expressed his commitment to regularise this health protection scheme for all sanitation workers of DNCC.

Appreciating the initiative, Commodore ABM Samsul Alam emphasized the need to expand health facilities in the residential areas where the workers live and to standardize the discount rates under the insurance service pool.

SAJIDA Foundation’s Deputy CEO, Md Fazlul Hoque, said the scheme is designed to address the healthcare vulnerabilities of urban low-income workers, particularly sanitation workers. The health insurance plan aims to reduce their out-of-pocket health expenses and promote early healthcare-seeking behaviour among them.

Through launching the service for city’s sanitation workers, DNCC, SAJIDA Foundation, and Harpic reaffirmed their commitment to the vulnerable workforce and ensuring dignity, safety, and wellbeing for them.