RIYADH, 12 December — An insurance policy, described as the first of its kind, has been launched to protect housemaids and other domestic servants in the Kingdom.
“We had carried out market research to identify the needs of domestic servants and their local sponsors as per the labor law of the Kingdom,” Murtadha Ibrahim Al-Jamalani, general manager of Saudi Continental Insurance Co., E.C., announced at a press conference here last night.
He said their new product, Housemaid-cum-Domestic Servants’ Protection, insures these categories of expatriates against injuries and/or occupational disease suffered by domestic helpers at a modest premium of SR150 per annum. In addition, the insurance policy takes care of reimbursing medical expenses incurred by the party.
The compensation will be SR100,000 in the event of death. In the case of permanent disability, a portion of the amount will be paid after considering the scale of disability. As for temporary disability, the compensation will be SR250 per week for a maximum of 26 weeks.
Al-Jamalani said compensation payable for reasonable medical, surgical and nursing expenses would be SR10,000 for a maximum of 26 weeks.
He said many expatriate housemaids may not get proper medical attention when they fall sick or sustain injuries. The new policy has been designed to address their needs. “The policy will be sold through the company’s offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar as well as through their agents,” he observed.
He said their company is also in the process of introducing niche type of products to protect the individual in emergency situations against payment of a modest premium.
Al-Jamalani added that in addition to their latest product, they also transact other classes of insurance, such as medical, motor, household, fire, etc. for individual and corporate entities.
Asked if there were any exceptions to the compensation rule, he said no payment will be made for bodily injuries suffered by an unlawful act other than in an attempt to save human life. Also, cases of suicide or attempted suicide or deliberate self-inflicted injury would not entitle the insured person to any compensation. Pregnancy or childbirth, adverse effect resulting from the intake of drug not prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner, venereal diseases and insanity are other cases in which compensation is ruled out, he added.
