The Delhi Cabinet has approved the ‘Delhi Building and Construction Workers Health Scheme’, aimed at providing cashless healthcare services to registered construction workers and their families across the national capital.
The initiative is expected to benefit around 2.70 lakh registered building and construction workers and nearly 10 lakh beneficiaries, including their family members. Under the scheme, each registered worker will be entitled to cashless treatment of up to Rs 2 lakh, while their families will receive medical coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh through empanelled hospitals.
The Delhi government has estimated an annual expenditure of approximately Rs 200 crore for the implementation of the scheme.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government remains committed to the welfare of vulnerable sections of society, particularly workers and economically weaker families. She described construction workers as the backbone of Delhi’s development and said ensuring their health and social security is a key priority.
Highlighting the occupational risks associated with construction work, Gupta noted that workers are frequently exposed to dust, chemicals, excessive noise, heavy machinery and strenuous working conditions. These factors increase their susceptibility to illnesses such as silicosis, respiratory ailments, skin diseases and other serious health conditions. She said the new initiative addresses the long-standing absence of a comprehensive healthcare protection mechanism for this workforce.
According to the government, the scheme will provide free healthcare services to registered workers and their eligible family members, including spouses, children and parents, through a network of empanelled hospitals and mobile medical units. The benefits will include outpatient (OPD) and inpatient (IPD) treatment, diagnostic and laboratory services, emergency care and referral services.
In addition, annual health check-ups will be conducted for workers and their spouses. The Chief Minister emphasised that the treatment process will be entirely cashless, ensuring that workers and their families do not face financial hardship while accessing healthcare.
To improve healthcare access, the government will deploy mobile medical units at construction sites and in areas with a large concentration of workers. The scheme also envisages the creation of digital health records and a beneficiary tracking system to enhance transparency and monitor service delivery effectively. A 24×7 toll-free helpline will be established to provide medical assistance and information to beneficiaries.
Gupta said the initiative goes beyond healthcare and should be viewed as a broader social security measure aimed at improving the overall quality of life of construction workers and their families.
Referring to labour welfare programmes launched by the Centre, she said initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, the e-Shram Portal and the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana reflect the government’s continued focus on the welfare of workers in the unorganised sector. She added that the Delhi government is committed to carrying forward the same approach to bring meaningful change to the lives of construction workers.