By Keshav Raj Paudel, Kathmandu, Dec. 24: People who purchased COVID-19 insurance and then got infected from the deadly virus have started to get payment by submitting necessary documents.

Spokesperson of the Beema Samiti, insurance regulatory authority of Nepal,  Raj Raman Paudel said as many as 14,184 individuals received payments by Tuesday, 22 December.

According to Paudel, a sum of 1 billion 384 million and 875 thousand rupees has been distributed to insured persons who got infected and submitted necessary documents.

As many as 1 million 712 thousand and 470 individuals have purchased insurance policy against COVID-19 from companies such as Ajod, Everest, General, Himalayan, IME General, Lumbini, National, Neco, Nepal, NLG, Oriental, Prabhu, Premier, Prudential, National Insurance Company, Sagarmatha, Sanima, Shikhar, Siddhartha and United Insurance Company. The policy they bought stated that they would get Rs 1 lakh in case they got infected with the virus.

Out of them, 14,184 infected by COVID-19 have received by completing the documentation process. Paudel informed that the number of people who joined the Second Scheme Insurance was 380,000. The second Scheme of Insurance has the provision to get Rs. 25,000 whereas the first scheme was of Rs. 1 lakh. 'No payment has been halted for those who complete the process' he added.

26,597 people who bought insurance policy prior to getting infected with the deadly contagion have submitted documents to the Beema Samiti and of them, 14,148 have received insurance payment while 2,521 people are in the process of receiving the insured amount,  according to Paudel.

Paudel said the documents of 3,111 people were under process and the documents would be forward to the Samiti by filing them appropriately.

According to Suraj Rajbahak of Shekhar Insurance, with the completion of documentation, everyone will get insured payment easily. Files of 1,892 were sent back to the insurance company due to document mismatch, he said.

Documents of 1,550 have been sent to the Samiti for approval and 72 people's documents were found to be fake, he said.