Thiruvananthapuram: In a pioneering move in India, the Kerala government is set to launch ‘Norka Care’, a comprehensive health and accident insurance scheme exclusively for Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs).
Vice Chairman of NORKA, the agency serving as the interface between NRKs and the Kerala government, P. Sriramakrishnan, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the scheme on September 22 in Thiruvananthapuram. Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal will preside over the launch, during which the Norka Care mobile application will also be released.
The scheme aims to provide cashless medical treatment to NRKs and their families through over 16,000 hospitals across India, including more than 500 in Kerala, with efforts underway to extend coverage to hospitals in GCC countries. Enrollment is open to those holding a Norka ID card, and returning expatriates can continue their policies without interruption.
Sriramakrishnan highlighted that comprehensive health and accident insurance has been a longstanding demand of expatriate Keralites, frequently raised in platforms such as the Loka Kerala Sabha, and is now being realised through Norka Care.
Enrollment will be open during a global registration drive from September 22 to October 22, with benefits becoming effective from November 1, Kerala Piravi Day. According to Norka Roots CEO Ajith Kolassery, the scheme offers Rs 5 lakh health insurance coverage and Rs 10 lakh accident insurance coverage, with no age restrictions or mandatory medical tests.
Kerala has over 2.5 million NRKs, with nearly 90 per cent residing in the Middle East. Since assuming office in 2016, the Vijayan government has been widely praised for addressing the concerns of the Kerala diaspora.
The annual remittances from the diaspora, estimated at over Rs 1 lakh crore, account for around 15 per cent of Kerala’s GDP, supporting millions of households and remaining the backbone of the state economy.
With IANS inputs