Sri Lanka announces free medical and personal accident cover for schoolchildren

Creating a landmark in the history of education in Sri Lanka, the Government of Sri Lanka has launched a free medical and personal accident cover for all schoolchildren of the nation.

The insurance scheme is facilitated through the nation’s strongest and largest insurer, Sri Lanka Insurance (SLI) and the service will be offered through its extensive network of 150 branches islandwide.  Under the ‘Suraksha’ scheme, each schoolchild would receive an insurance cover of around Rs.400,000, including a hospitalisation cover worth Rs.200,000.  The scheme will provide coverage to an estimated 4.5 million schoolchildren from all walks of life in government, private and international schools. It will also be extended to the student priests in ‘Pirivena’ education.

The benefits that would be available through the scheme include Rs.10,000 as reimbursement of OPD medical bills, Rs.100,000 to be paid upon the sudden death of the policyholder or Rs.75,000 to be paid on the death of a parent and Rs.100,000 and Rs.50,000, respectively to be paid on full or partial disability of the child. 

he ‘Suraksha’ policyholders will also be entitled to additional benefits such as discounts on hospitalisation, discounts on consultants’ fees, etc. 

The illnesses and procedures covered under the policy include cancer, renal failure, primary pulmonary arterial hypertension, multiple sclerosis, major organ transplantation, coronary artery (by-pass) surgery, surgery-aorta, heart valve replacement, stroke, myocardial infarction, heart attack, coma, blindness and paralysis.

“Sri Lanka Insurance has been in the forefront when it comes to projects involving the holistic development of children of the nation, be it sports, academic or art,” SLI Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya said.

The insurance scheme, which is said to be a brainchild of Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, was launched at the Temple Trees in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Public Enterprise Development Minister Kabir Hashim, Kariyawasam and Amarasuriya.